(NEXSTAR) – Nicolas Cage, who was briefly married to Lisa Marie Presley in the early 2000s, says he’s “heartbroken” following news of his ex-wife’s death on Thursday.
“This is devastating news,” said Cage, 59, in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “Lisa had the greatest laugh of anyone I ever met. She lit up every room, and I am heartbroken. I find some solace believing she is reunited with her son Benjamin.”
Cage and Presley married in Aug. 2002 and separated months later, though their divorce wasn’t finalized until May 2004, Today reported at the time.
Cage had cited irreconcilable difference in the divorce petition.
“I’m sad about this, but we shouldn’t have been married in the first place,” he said upon their separation in 2002, according to TV Guide. “It was a big mistake.”
Presley, 54, died Thursday in Los Angeles after being rushed to the hospital earlier in the day.
“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. “She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known.”
Presley, along with her mother, had attended the 80th Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Beverly Hills on the Tuesday before she died.
Billy Bush, the host of “Extra,” told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield that he interviewed Presley on the red carpet shortly before she walked into the ceremony, and felt something was “off” about her.
“When the interview was over, I said to my crew, ‘Something’s off.’ There’s no question that she was off. She was a little slow and not quite all there. I say that with a heavy heart,” Bush told Banfield.
Bush added that Presley appeared to be leaning on a manager’s arm for support while walking.
In addition to Cage’s comments, the estate of Michael Jackson shared its own statement to Instagram lamenting the loss of Presley, who was married to Jackson between 1994 and 1996.
“We are saddened by the sudden tragic loss of Michael’s former wife, Lisa Marie Presley,” reads the statement. “Michael cherished the special bond they enjoyed and was comforted by Lisa Marie’s generous love, concern and care during their times together. Our hearts are with Lisa Marie’s children, Riley, Harper and Finley, and her mother, Priscilla, in this difficult time.”