Lisa Marie Presley’s Ex Michael Lockwood Appointed Legal Guardian of Twins Amidst Trust Battle | “Willing to Protect”

After Lisa Marie Presley's death, the family has been embroiled in a severe and dramatic trust fund battle.

Michael Lockwood, Lisa Marie's ex-husband, is now attempting to "protect" the interests of their 14-year-old twins Harper Vivienne Ann and Finley Aaron Love, per PEOPLE. Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto considered Lockwood's request to represent the twins in the trust fund legal matter, involving a disputed will from Lisa Marie, during a hearing on April 13, Thursday in Los Angeles. According to Lockwood's attorney, Scott Rahn, he is "ready, able, and willing to protect their interests."

When Judge Scaduto inquired about the 61-year-old musician's prior contacts with them, Rahn responded that he and the other parties in the case were all on friendly terms. "Lockwood has a good, collegial, familial relationship with all of the parties involved," he said. "He is not only legally bound but also morally bound to protect [the twins'] interests."

In March, Lockwood submitted a petition asking to be named the twins' legal guardian ad litem. The twins were welcomed by Lockwood and Lisa Marie in October 2008. His reasoning behind the petition was that "the minor is a beneficiary of a trust at issue before the probate court in the above-referenced case. The minor requires the appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent her interests in the proceeding. There is no conflict regarding appointment because the proposed guardian is not a beneficiary of the trust instrument at issue," Lockwood added.

The request for representation was not opposed by Riley Keough's and Priscilla Presley's attorneys, and the judge indicated that she would issue a written decision. The court granted the applications by its decision, which came later on Thursday afternoon. The following hearing has now been set for May 16.

However, according to a source who previously told PEOPLE that "the last thing" Lisa Marie would have wanted was him to be there, Lockwood wasn't invited to the memorial. "Michael was not invited," a close friend of Lisa Marie's shared with PEOPLE ahead of the memorial. "He came to Memphis under the pretense that he had to chaperone the twins — and he forced his way in with Priscilla's help. The last thing Lisa Marie would have wanted was for Michael to be there."

Elvis Presley and ex-wife Priscilla's only child, Lisa Marie, passed away in January at the age of 54 after a cardiac arrest. Riley, Harper, and Finley were set to inherit her trust fund. In a 2016 amendment, Lisa Marie removed Barry Siegel, Priscilla, and Lisa Marie's previous business manager, from the board of trustees, and replaced them with Riley and Benjamin.

Lisa Marie granted Riley, and Benjamin, who died of suicide in 2020, control of the trust, which included the Graceland home and a 15% share in Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), which combined brought in an estimated $110 million in 2022. Priscilla Presley is currently contesting the amendment, which is raising tensions between Riley and Priscilla.

References:

https://people.com/music/michael-lockwood-ready-to-protect-twin-daughters-in-lisa-marie-presley-trust-battle/

https://people.com/music/inside-priscilla-presley-riley-keough-fight-over-lisa-maries-trust/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Jason Kempin