Music producer Michael Lockwood has broken his silence over the tragic death of his ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley.
Speaking ahead of the late singer-songwriter's special memorial service, which will be held on Sunday at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, Lockwood opened up about the impact her sudden death had on him and their two 14-year-old daughters.
"We are all reeling from the sudden passing of Lisa Marie Presley, the mother of my two beautiful twin daughters Harper and Finley," Lockwood, 61, said in a statement to People magazine on Wednesday. "Nothing prepares us for such an unexpected tragedy. It is incomprehensible."
Presley — the only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley — died last Thursday at age 54, within hours of being rushed to the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California.
Commenting on the loss, Lockwood told People that "the most important thing" for him now was to take care of their daughters and make sure "they always feel safe and loved."
"Both of them have incredible spirit, and they will carry our family's legacy on for the rest of their lives," he continued. "Since they were born, Harper and Finley have brought me profound joy, and I remain devoted to them. We ask for privacy at this incredibly difficult time."
Presley married Lockwood, who was her fourth husband, in 2006 and filed for divorce in 2016. Five years later the divorce was finalized — after a long custody battle that continued after their separation.
Lockwood had previously accused Presley of attempting to alienate him from their daughters. Early in 2021, he filed court documents asking the court to strip Presley of primary custody of their daughters amid concerns that she could relapse into drug and alcohol dependency following the death of her son Benjamin Keough, whom she shared with ex-husband Danny Keough along with daughter Riley.
However, in a final judgment, the court noted their "communication difficulties" likely had a greater negative impact on their children than Presley's personal issues, Taste of Country reported. As a result, they were granted joint custody.