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Benjamin Keough struggled with Presley family name 'pressure,' says friend
Published July 15, 2020
Benjamin Keough tragically died on July 12 and now his friend musician Brandon Howard is shedding some light on the situation.
Keough, the son of Lisa Marie Presley and only grandson of the late Elvis Presley died by suicide in Calabasas, California. He was 27 years old.
Howard told People magazine that Keough sometimes "struggled with depression." He felt possible the coronavirus pandemic "and everything happening right now and everybody being locked in the house" might have affected his mental health. "It takes a lot. I wish I could have been there."
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Howard also thought that living up to the famous Presley name "absolutely" affected Keough.
"That kind of pressure is definitely a part of what happened," he described. "It's a tough thing when you have a lot of pressure with your family and living up to a name and an image. It's a lot of pressure. It's almost like you're pressured into having to be a musician, having to be an actor. It was good for him to go around the world and discover himself and have his own friends. You never know what triggers it. You never know ... It's so random."
Howard recalled how Keough was a great, supportive friend who always lent a helping hand when he could. "He has always been there for everybody," Howard said. "In any kind of situation, he would be the one who would come crash with you on the couch for weeks until you're actually feeling better."
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The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that Keough's cause of death as an "intraoral shotgun wound."
Presley reacted to her son's death in a statement via her manager on Sunday.
"She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter Riley," the statement said. "She adored that boy. He was the love of her life."
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Keough's father was musician Danny Keough. He is also survived by his grandmother, Priscilla Presley, sister Riley Keough, and 11-year-old twin half-sisters Finley and Harper.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/benjamin-keough-struggled-presley-name-pressure