A stunning new legal filing has made the explosive claim that actress Riley Keough is the biological mother of John Travolta's youngest son, Ben. The allegation surfaces in a lawsuit that has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond.
The Bombshell Allegations in the Lawsuit
The claim was made public in court documents filed by Brigitte Kruse, a former business partner of Priscilla Presley. According to the suit, Ben Travolta, who was born in 2010, was conceived using eggs donated by Keough, who is the granddaughter of music icon Elvis Presley.
The lawsuit further alleges that Travolta, now 71, and his late wife, actress Kelly Preston, sought this arrangement because they were unable to conceive a child biologically. Preston tragically passed away in 2020 at age 57 after a battle with breast cancer.
In a surprising twist, the legal documents state that Keough's own late mother, singer Lisa Marie Presley, had previously donated her eggs to the couple. Lisa Marie Presley died in 2023. The lawsuit claims Preston did not wish to continue using Lisa Marie's eggs due to concerns over her drug use.
Compensation and Vehement Denials
The filing provides specific details about the alleged agreement. It states that Riley Keough, now 36, received financial compensation between $10,000 and $20,000 as part of the deal, along with an older Jaguar vehicle.
These claims have been met with fierce denial from representatives of the Presley family. Priscilla Presley's attorney, Marty Singer, issued a strong statement to Us Weekly, calling the allegations "outrageous" and "shameful." Singer emphasized that the claims have "absolutely nothing to do with the claims in this case," which centers on a breach of contract dispute involving Priscilla's son, Navarone Garcia.
As of the reports, representatives for John Travolta and Michael Lockwood, Lisa Marie Presley's ex-husband who allegedly informed her of the couple's fertility struggles, were not immediately available for comment.
Family Backgrounds and Careers
John Travolta and Kelly Preston were married in 1991. They shared three children: son Jett, who died in 2009 at age 16; daughter Ella Bleu, now 25; and their youngest, Ben, who is 15.
Riley Keough, an established actress, has been married to Ben Smith-Petersen since 2015. The couple are parents to a three-year-old daughter, Tupelo, and welcomed another child in early 2025. Keough's film credits include notable roles in Mad Max: Fury Road, Magic Mike, and the drama The Good Doctor alongside Orlando Bloom.
The lawsuit, filed in December 2025, brings these deeply personal family matters into the public legal arena, raising complex questions while the involved parties navigate the serious allegations and their legal ramifications.
