“That moment is even more powerful today.”
Austin Butler’s emotional tribute to Lisa Marie Presley has gone viral in the wake of the singer’s death from cardiac arrest just two days after she attended the Golden Globes. She was 54.
Butler won the Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama award for his starring role in the Elvis biopic on Monday night and made special mention of the Presley family during his acceptance speech.
The 31-year-old, who had spent time with Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie and wife Priscilla in order to embody the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, vowed to love them “forever”.
Austin Butler wins Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture at the #GoldenGlobes. pic.twitter.com/Jx1dUpB3D3
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) January 11, 2023
Butler said: “I also want to thank our incredible producers and Warner Bros and the Presley family.
“Thank you guys, thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me.
“Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever.”
Video of the speech is now being reshared on Twitter as grieving fans note the significance of Butler’s words now.
One user remarked: “Just two days ago as Austin Butler thanks Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley at Golden Globes, that moment is even more powerful today.”
Lisa Marie and Priscilla joined Butler for much of the publicity tour for the Elvis biopic.
The trio also grew close during the filming of the movie.
After watching Elvis, Priscilla praised Butler’s performance as the King, who she was married to for six years.
Lisa Marie, who was the couple’s only child together, was hospitalised Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest in her home.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla Presley said in a statement to The Associated Press.
“She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”
She asked for privacy as the family dealt with “this profound loss.”
Lisa Marie released three studio albums throughout her career, most recently the album Storm & Grace in 2012.
She also was recognised for her charitable works around homelessness and literacy in Memphis in Tennessee, where she was born and her father kicked off his legendary music career.
Speaking to Good Morning America in 2007 she reflected: “He’d always wake me up to sing in the middle of the night, get on the table and sing.”
“I remember him as my dad, but he was a very exciting dad.”
Presley was married four times: first to musician Danny Keough and then to pop star Michael Jackson. She later married actor Nicolas Cage and guitarist Michael Lockwood.
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