In December 2025, Los Angeles court filings made a startling claim: Riley Keough allegedly donated eggs to help John Travolta and Kelly Preston conceive their son, Benjamin, in 2010, in exchange for an old Jaguar and $10,000–$20,000. The allegation surfaced inside a $50 million lawsuit against Priscilla Presley, not direct testimony. Both Keough and Presley deny it. The filing’s origins raise bigger questions.
The $50M Lawsuit Behind The Rumor
In August 2025, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko filed a $50 million lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Priscilla Presley of undermining ventures and exploiting Lisa Marie Presley’s January 2023 death to gain estate control. Priscilla previously sued them for financial elder abuse, alleging theft of over $1 million. The escalating fight invited increasingly sensational claims, with one suddenly dominating headlines.
A Story Attributed To Michael Lockwood
Court filings dated December 16, 2025, say Michael Lockwood, Lisa Marie Presley’s ex-husband, allegedly relayed the egg-donation story to Kruse. The filing claims he said Travolta and Preston first wanted Lisa Marie’s eggs, then refused because they didn’t want “eggs with heroin on them.” He allegedly urged leverage, citing “dog food,” before denying it.
Who Riley Keough Is In This Family
Riley Keough, 36, is Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough’s eldest child and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter. Born May 1989 in Santa Monica, she built an acting career with Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, American Honey in 2016, and Daisy Jones & the Six in 2023. She became a mother in 2022 and sole trustee in August 2023. That role amplified attention.
The Travolta Family Timeline Adds Fuel
John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s son Jett died January 2, 2009 at 16 after a seizure. In May 2010, Preston announced pregnancy at 47, and Benjamin was born in November 2010, around 18 months after Jett’s death. The lawsuit’s alleged 2010 arrangement overlaps with that timeline, feeding speculation despite no evidence connecting Keough biologically. Timing alone can mislead, though.
What The Filing Says, And Omits
The amended complaint includes a handwritten note referencing “Kelly Preston carried baby,” “medical bills paid,” and “old Jaguar 1990s-ish,” plus messages describing Benjamin as Priscilla’s “beautiful great-grandson.” It claims a Scientology “sign off” and compensation of “an old Jaguar and paid between $10,000 – $20,000.” Yet it offers no DNA, medical records, contracts, or direct testimony. That gap matters.
What Egg Donation Usually Pays
Fertility industry data puts typical U.S. egg donor compensation at $10,000–$50,000 per cycle. Bank donations average $10,000–$20,000, and fresh cycles can pay $20,000–$50,000. The lawsuit’s figures sound realistic on paper, but legitimate donations involve screening, contracts, and clinic documentation. No such records are cited for Keough. Plausible numbers can still mask speculation.
Priscilla Presley’s Lawyers Fired Back
On December 17, 2025, Priscilla Presley’s attorneys Marty Singer and Wayne Harman told TMZ: “After losing motion after motion in this case, and unsuccessfully seeking to have Presley’s counsel of record, Marty Singer, disqualified from representing her in this matter, Brigitte Kruse, Kevin Fialko, and their co-conspirators have demonstrated that there is no bar too low, no ethical line that they are unwilling to cross.” They called it irrelevant and “shameful,” saying it would be addressed in court. But why did it land anyway?
Riley And Priscilla Issue A Joint Denial
Keough and Presley released a joint statement: “We are aware of the latest allegations from Brigitte Kruse. These claims are not only untrue but also deeply hurtful. Our family is, and always has been, united in love and respect for one another.” They added: “Our shared priority remains honoring Lisa Marie’s memory and protecting Elvis’ legacy with dignity. We will not allow outside voices to divide us or to diminish the strength of our bond as a family.” Their unity contrasted earlier tension and hinted at shared stakes.
Lockwood Denies Being The Source
Asked directly, Michael Lockwood told the Daily Mail in December 2025: “That just sounds crazy. I have not heard anything about it.” If the alleged source rejects the story, the filing’s backbone weakens fast. Lockwood’s past litigation with Lisa Marie included disputed allegations and claims of misconduct, making credibility a recurring issue. Still, the lawsuit presents the rumor as asserted fact. That contradiction raises an obvious question: what proof is left?
The Scientology “Sign Off” Claim
The filing alleges the arrangement required a Scientology “sign off” and involved Priscilla’s oversight. Priscilla, Travolta, and Preston were known Scientologists, while Lisa Marie’s relationship with the church was complicated. The complaint offers no church documentation, statements, or corroboration that Scientology plays any role in fertility arrangements. No church official has commented. The claim reads like an attention magnet, but it also points to another painful detail.
The “Heroin” Line And Its Impact
The complaint’s reference to rejecting eggs because they didn’t want “eggs with heroin on them” invokes Lisa Marie Presley’s documented addiction struggles. She spoke about recovery after opioid dependence that followed medical prescriptions after the 2008 birth of her twins. Using that history as crude leverage shocked observers and deepened accusations of reputational warfare. Lisa Marie died January 12, 2023 at 54 and cannot respond. The language itself became part of the controversy, not just the allegation.
A Handwritten Note Under The Microscope
Kruse and Fialko included a handwritten hotel note referencing “Kelly Preston carried baby,” “medical bills paid,” and “old Jaguar 1990s-ish.” In California courts, handwriting evidence can be challenged on authentication, standards, and chain of custody. The filing provides no clear origin story for the note or documentation proving where it came from. Priscilla’s attorneys did not validate it. Legal observers noted the phrases are vague and could relate to many situations. So why spotlight it at all?
Elder Abuse Claims Set The Stage
Priscilla Presley sued Kruse and Fialko in 2024 for financial elder abuse and fraud, alleging they extracted over $1 million and pushed her into giving up 80% of her income. They countersued, claiming breach of contract and misrepresentation. Their August 2025 amended complaint added other incendiary accusations, including claims about Lisa Marie’s January 2023 medical crisis and an “incestuous” allegation involving Navarone Garcia. Judge Mark Epstein ruled jurisdiction over Fialko in December 2024, keeping the fight alive. Escalation became a pattern.
What Happens Next In The Case
As of January 2026, the lawsuit remained in early stages, with discovery still developing. Priscilla’s attorneys were expected to seek motions to strike the egg-donation claims and possibly sanctions tied to frivolous allegations. If the claims survive early motions, depositions of Lockwood, Kruse, and Fialko could test the story under oath. The case could settle before trial, as many celebrity disputes do when reputational risk rises. Either way, the filing’s impact already spread far beyond court.
Sources
Los Angeles County Superior Court Amended Complaint, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko v. Navarone Garcia, Los Angeles County Superior Court, December 16, 2025
“After losing motion after motion in this case, and unsuccessfully seeking to have Presley’s counsel of record, Marty Singer, disqualified from representing her in this matter, Brigitte Kruse, Kevin Fialko, and their co-conspirators have demonstrated that there is no bar too low, no ethical line that they are unwilling to cross.” TMZ, December 17, 2025
California Evidence Code § 1200, California Legislature, current through 2025