According to the Elvis actor, the late Lisa Marie Presley was an “honest” lady.
Austin Butler was close to the late Lisa Marie Presley.
At the 95th annual Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills, California, the Elvis Presley actor claimed that he and Lisa Marie “connected very, very rapidly.”
“And all those beautiful times of just being able to share life with her, I’ll treasure forever,” Butler, 31, says.
Lisa Marie died abruptly last month at 54, shortly after being sent to the hospital for a suspected heart attack.
Remembering Elvis Presley’s daughter as “She was such a genuine person,” Butler says. And she rapidly opened up her heart to me.”
Butler said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 30 that until meeting Lisa Marie, he’d “never had an experience where I met somebody and felt an immediate depth of bond with them.”
“She was a person who had nothing to prove and wouldn’t open up to anyone, and she opened up to me,” he added. “We came so close quickly, and it’s just awful.”
“It’s strange in moments like this because it’s so bittersweet,” Butler continued, referring to the emotional conflict of promoting Elvis — for which he recently garnered an Oscar Award nod for Best Actor — while also mourning Lisa Marie.
“Much good is occurring, but I’m heartbroken for her family. And the fact that she isn’t here to celebrate with us,” he said.
“I’m glad she got to see you,” host Jimmy Fallon responded.
“Yes, I’m glad I got to be with her at the (Golden) Globes — I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life,” Butler said after winning best actor in a drama for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s film at the Jan. 10 award presentation.
Butler appeared with Hoda and Jenna on January 24, immediately after the Oscar nominations, just over a week after Lisa Marie’s death.
“It’s a bittersweet moment right now because I think about how much I wish she were here to celebrate with me,” the actor explained. “I feel the same way about Elvis; I wish they could see these moments, you know?”
He went on to say, “It’s weird to celebrate during such a difficult period. But I see it as a way to pay tribute to her. This is intended for her.”
