Summary of "Call Her Daddy" Episode Featuring Riley Keough: "Nepo Babies, Addiction & Grief"

Release Date: January 15, 2025

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Call Her Daddy, host Alex Cooper engages in an intimate and revealing conversation with actress Riley Keough. The discussion delves deep into Riley's personal experiences, including her early foray into music, her friendship with Dakota Johnson, her family's legacy, the challenges of grief and addiction, and her journey towards healing and self-discovery. The episode offers listeners a profound look into the complexities of fame, family dynamics, and personal resilience.

Early Music Experiences

Riley Keough opens up about her initial experiences in the music world, highlighting the intensive training she underwent for a role that required her to sing and play guitar.

• Learning New Skills: Riley shares, “I think getting to learn, like to sing and play guitar was my favorite part because it was that... I've never had to fully learn to like sing and play guitar. So I found that really fun” ([01:33]).

• Band Practices: She describes the rigorous schedule, stating, “We were doing band practice every day and it was like a year-long” ([02:09]).

Despite not considering a music career—“I’m not a singer. I feel like you have a good voice. Unless they auto-tune it, it's fine” ([02:32])—Riley expresses pride in her ability to contribute authentically to the band without relying on vocal enhancements ([03:03]).

Friendship with Dakota Johnson

A significant portion of the conversation explores Riley's long-standing friendship with Dakota Johnson, emphasizing their shared experiences and mutual support.

• Building the Friendship: Riley recounts meeting Dakota through mutual connections during their teenage years in LA, “We became friends because we both grew up in LA and just there was some kind of... we met at an in-and-out parking lot” ([05:40]).

• Band Anecdotes: They humorously discuss their short-lived band, "Vokey Porn," highlighting the casual and fun nature of their collaboration ([04:06]).

Family Background and Legacy

Riley provides an in-depth look into her family's history, particularly her connection to Elvis Presley as his granddaughter and the profound impact of her mother's autobiography on her life.

• Completing Her Mother's Memoir: Riley explains how she took on the responsibility of finishing her mother's autobiography after her passing, “I just found myself, like, it was just this thing that I had to do. So I just completed her memoir” ([15:18]).

• Privacy vs. Openness: She reflects on the tension between her mother's desire for privacy and her own inclination towards honesty, “As a person, I'm a very honest person. And I also couldn't imagine... she was uncomfortably honest” ([18:05]).

Grief and Addiction

One of the most poignant segments addresses Riley's experiences with grief and her family's struggles with addiction, offering raw and honest insights into coping mechanisms and emotional resilience.

• Processing Grief: Riley discusses the emotional toll of losing her mother and brother in quick succession, emphasizing the isolation she felt and the importance of connecting with others who had similar experiences, “I found that to be the most comforting because I just wanted them to tell me that I was going to be okay” ([57:46]).

• Relationship with Addicted Family Members: She candidly talks about her efforts to help her addicted mother and the helplessness she felt, “The only thing that I could do was surrender to what is” ([53:02]).

Parenting and Emotional Dynamics

Riley reflects on how her own upbringing influences her approach to parenting, striving to balance providing for her children while fostering simplicity and genuine connections.

• Parenting Differences: She contrasts her desire for her children to find joy in simple activities with her mother's more extravagant lifestyle, “I really want my children to be able to find joy in just, you know, playing in the backyard” ([33:28]).

• Changing Family Roles: Discussing the shift in her relationship with her parents as she grew older, Riley explains how she became a caretaker, especially during her mother's battle with addiction, “I sort of became more of the caretaker in the relationship” ([42:17]).

Role as a Death Doula

Expanding on her journey towards healing, Riley introduces her role as a certified death doula, a position that allows her to support others through end-of-life processes.

• Becoming a Death Doula: Motivated by her own loss and seeking ways to help others, Riley states, “I did my death doula training and got certified. It's essentially like what a birth doula is, okay, for dying” ([60:02]).

• Impact on Her Healing: She notes that working with others who are grieving has been both empathetic and healing, “You're very much with them emotionally because it's a shared experience of grief” ([60:56]).

Media Exposure and Personal Reflections

Riley shares her experiences dealing with media scrutiny, especially while promoting her book, and how it contrasts with her past under the constant glare of fame.

• Press Challenges: Reflecting on the aggressive nature of some interviews, Riley says, “the vibe I got from certain interviewers was aggressive... like putting me on in the hot seat” ([61:45]).

• Legacy of Elvis: She muses on the enduring impact of her grandfather Elvis Presley, recognizing the unique position he holds in popular culture, “It's amazing that somebody could... impact people so much” ([63:35]).

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Riley expressing a sense of relief after completing her book, symbolizing a new chapter in her life where she can focus on healing and personal growth. She emphasizes the importance of empathy, honest conversations, and self-care in overcoming trauma and building meaningful relationships.

• Sense of Closure: Riley shares her relief in having told her story, “I do feel relief because it felt like this thing that I knew was coming, that was gonna be this big thing, and I did sort of want it to be over” ([65:03]).

• Future Perspectives: She underscores the continuous journey of self-care and emotional well-being, “It's time to prioritize ourselves. Daddy gang, it's 2025. It's about time” ([60:40]).

Notable Quotes

• “I think getting to learn, like to sing and play guitar was my favorite part because it was that...” – Riley Keough ([01:33]).

• “I'm not a singer. I feel like you have a good voice. Unless they auto-tune it, it's fine” – Riley Keough ([02:32]).

• “We became friends because we both grew up in LA and just there was some kind of... we met at an in-and-out parking lot” – Riley Keough ([05:40]).

• “I just found myself, like, it was just this thing that I had to do. So I just completed her memoir” – Riley Keough ([15:18]).

• “The only thing that I could do was surrender to what is” – Riley Keough ([53:02]).

• “I do feel relief because it felt like this thing that I knew was coming...” – Riley Keough ([65:03]).

Final Thoughts

Riley Keough's candid and heartfelt conversation on Call Her Daddy offers listeners an authentic glimpse into the complexities of navigating fame, family legacy, and personal trauma. Her journey underscores the importance of honest self-expression, empathy, and the continual quest for healing and connection.