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Riley Keough completes death doula training after brother's death

Riley Keough, an actress and the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, finished her death doula training eight months after her brother Benjamin Keough's suicide. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Riley Keough, an actress and the granddaughter of Elvis Presley, finished her death doula training eight months after her brother Benjamin Keough's suicide. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

March 22 (UPI) -- Riley Keough says she's completed her training to become a death doula.

The 31-year-old actress finished her death doula training Sunday, eight months after her brother Benjamin Keough's suicide.

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Keough shared a quote from the poet Rumi and an update on her progress Sunday on Instagram.

"Today I finished my Death Doula training, on The Art of Death Midwifery training course by @sacred_crossings so I guess I'm an almost certified death doula now hehe," she captioned the post. "And I just felt like writing such a deep thank you to this community who are teaching and training people in conscious dying and death work."

Death doulas provide comfort and support to people and their families as they navigate the end-of-life process. Keough said many people are taught that death is "a morbid subject" or are too "afraid" to discuss it, leaving them "very ill prepared" when death happens.

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"I think it's so important to be educated on conscious dying and death the way we educate ourselves on birth and conscious birthing," she said. "We prepare ourselves so rigorously for the entrance and have no preparation for our exit. So I'm so grateful for this community and to be able to contribute what I can."

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Keough is the daughter of singer Lisa Marie Presley and the granddaughter of late rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. Her brother Benjamin Keough died at age 27 in July.

Keough called Benjamin Keough her "best friend" in a message on Instagram after his death.

"There are no words for you. Angel is the closest I could think of. Pure light. Baby brother. Best friend. Wild man. Intellectual. Witness to my life. Twin soul. Protector. Too sensitive for this harsh world," the actress wrote.

"I hope you feel my love," she said. "I can't believe you've left me. Not you sweet Ben Ben. Anyone but you. I guess this is true heartbreak. I hope we meet again."

Keough is known for the films Mad Max: Fury Road, It Comes at Night and The Lodge. She also played Christine Reade on the Starz series The Girlfriend Experience.

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