Billy Bush opens up about interviewing Lisa Marie Presley just 48 hours before her death

Billy Bush opened up about being one the last individuals to have interviewed Lisa Marie Presley before her sudden and tragic passing on Thursday at the age of 54, telling PEOPLE on Friday that, ‘It feels awful.’

The television host, who was interviewing for Extra during the 80th Annual Golden Globes held earlier on Tuesday, had the chance to talk to Elvis’ daughter on the red carpet less than 48 hours before her death.

Bush, 51, further emotionally expressed to the publication that, ‘I feel my heart is very heavy for pretty much anyone in pain.’

‘Feels awful’: Billy Bush, 51, informed People on Friday that, ‘It feels awful,’ to have been one of the last individuals to have interviewed Lisa Marie Presley before her tragic passing on Thursday at the age of 54

 Recent interview: The talk show host interviewed celebrities for Extra during the 80th Golden Globes, including Elvis’ only daughter 

Billy recalled that both he and Lisa Marie were, ‘just talking about her father. And what characteristics of her father’s that Austin Butler did get right… the singing, the glances, the look, the twinkle.’ 

‘This is a woman who just encountered so much grief in her life. It’s just impossible to fathom,’ he added, referencing to her own father’s death at the age of 42 in 1977 and the loss of her own son, Benjamin, in 2020, with his death being ruled a suicide. He was only 27-years-old. 

During the night, she had been accompanied by Jerry Schilling, a long-time family friend who stood closely by her side during the brief interview, shortly before the award show commenced. 

Bush recently went into further detail about the interview with Lisa Marie when talking to Fox LA, stating that both he and Jerry had, ‘each grabbed an arm’ to help her up two steps that led up the platform for the interview.

He added, ‘And it was clear that she was not coming up the two flights. I went down and I met her on the carpet itself. You can see her hanging onto Jerry’s arm…’

By her side: She was accompanied by Jerry Schilling, a long-time family friend who stood closely by her side, during the brief interview shortly before the award show commenced

Recalling: Bush recently went into further detail about the interview with Lisa Marie when talking to Fox LA

‘Something’s off’: The Extra host recalled, ‘She was very uneven in her balance. The speech was very slow. And, definitely, when the interview was over, I turned to my producer next to me and said, ‘Something’s off here’; Billy seen in December 2021 in Malibu

The Extra host then explained, ‘She was very uneven in her balance. The speech was very slow. And, definitely, when the interview was over, I turned to my producer next to me and said, ‘Something’s off here.’ 

‘She was cognizant. She was certainly with it, just a second slow. But she was there. She was definitely there, but just a tad off in some way,’ Billy stated. 

He also expressed that after his interview, Lisa Marie promptly entered The Beverly Hilton to watch the ceremony. Bush was also the last individual to interview Michael Jackson before his death in 2009. Lisa Marie and Michael were married from 1994 to 1996. 

Bush predicted ‘a wonderful night for Elvis’ at the beginning of the interview on Tuesday evening, in which Lisa Marie stood next to longtime friend Schilling, who was also a talent manager who worked closely with Elvis. 

Billy then asked her if she had gotten to know Butler, at which point she told Schilling ‘I’m gonna grab your arm’ and locked her right arm with Schilling’s left arm. 

She said she adored Butler and was ‘mind-blown’ after seeing his performance in the film (which earned him a win for Best Actor- Motion Picture Drama at the ceremony). 

Kind words: During the interview with Bush, Lisa Marie stated that she adored Butler and was ‘mind-blown’ after seeing his performance in the film (which earned him a win for Best Actor- Motion Picture Drama at the ceremony)

‘She was there’: When talking to Fox LA, Billy added, ‘She was cognizant. She was certainly with it, just a second slow. But she was there. She was definitely there, but just a tad off in some way’

Lisa Marie said she needed five days ‘to process [Butler’s performance] as it was so spot on and authentic’. 

During the chat, Lisa Marie said that she thought Butler nailed the ‘characteristics [and] the talking without doing it like in a caricature way like it’s been done in the past’.

She added: ‘It’s kind of done in sort of a funny, joking way, the way [Elvis] spoke, but Austin actually got it and did it perfectly without making it comical.’ Schilling noted Butler ‘didn’t overdo’ aspects of his performance as Elvis.

Bush asked Lisa Marie if she had lived in the Montecito-Santa Barbara area – which was battered earlier this week by storms and flooding – and she said she ‘did at one point’, noting that the results of the storm were ‘really awful’.

The interview wrapped up with Lisa Marie telling Bush that Butler was making his way down the entrance.

Long-time friends: Billy then asked her if she had gotten to know Butler, at which point she told Schilling ‘I’m gonna grab your arm’ and locked her right arm with Schilling’s left arm

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Emotional: During the interview, Lisa Marie said she needed five days ‘to process [Butler’s performance] as it was so spot on and authentic’

Recognition: Austin Butler, who portrayed Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, received the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama on Tuesday, which both Lisa Marie and her mother, Priscilla Presley were able to see in person 

Earlier Thursday, Lisa Marie was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles after reportedly suffering from a cardiac arrest, reported TMZ. 

Before being taken to a nearby hospital, she had been given CPR by both her ex-husband Danny Keough and EMTs at her Calabasas home, regaining a pulse. 

However, sources informed TMZ later on Friday that upon arriving at the hospital, Lisa Marie was ‘pronounced brain dead.’ The sources further added to the tabloid that her family reportedly signed a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR). 

The publication had previously reported that she had also been put into an induced coma by doctors as well as life support. 

Hours later, she suffered a second cardiac arrest, and the news of her sudden and shocking death was announced not long afterwards.  

Tragic loss: Sources informed TMZ that upon arriving at the hospital on Thursday, Lisa Marie was ‘pronounced brain dead’ and further added to the tabloid that her family reportedly signed a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR); Lisa Marie and Austin seen in June 2022

In the past: Bush was also the last individual to interview Michael Jackson before his death in 2009. Lisa Marie and Michael were married from 1994 to 1996; seen in 2019 in Burbank