Priscilla Presley has recalled the heartbreaking moment she decided to withdraw Lisa Marie Presley’s life support machines, after she suffered a cardiac arrest
Priscilla Presley has opened up about the awful moment when she had to take her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, off of life support. The actress and former wife of Elvis Presley made the decision to take her daughter off life support after Lisa Marie suffered a cardiac arrest while at home in January 2023. In her upcoming memoir, Softly As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, Priscilla has recalled the tragic moment when she said goodbye to her child.
In an excerpt of the book, which is set for release on 23 September, Priscilla wrote: “I knew from the first moment I walked into Lisa’s hospital room that she was already gone. She was hooked to a machine that was breathing for her, and she had a heartbeat. There was little brain activity. Her spirit, always so vital, wasn’t there.”
She added that her granddaughter, Riley Keough, felt Lisa Marie die, even though she did not make it to the hospital in time. “Riley later told us that while she was still on her flight, she had felt her mother’s spirit pass,” Priscilla continued. “But none of us was ready to give up yet.”
Knowing Lisa Marie would likely not wake up didn’t make it any easier for Priscilla when the doctor confirmed it. She called the feeling “unbearable” and remembered how she broke down on the floor, according to People.
“It was unbearable. I began to sob. I don’t remember falling. I know that [my cousin] Ivy caught me. After that, everything went dark. I can’t remember. I don’t want to remember.” These details have emerged following a $50million lawsuit from Priscilla’s former business partners, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko.
In Los Angeles, Brigitte and Kevin, made a string of claims against her, including that she “exerted undue pressure” on her ex-husband, Elvis Presley, in the months leading up to his death, as well as allegations of her handling of her daughter Lisa Marie’s sudden death in 2023. The pair are accusing Priscilla of fraud in the inducement, breach of contract, conversion, misappropriation of name and likeness, and intentional interference with contract and prospective economic advantage.
While Priscilla’s lawyer hit back at the accusations after the amended lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles, she has now come forward together with her granddaughter amid reports of a rift between them due to legal battles over Lisa Marie’s estate. In their joint statement, the pair described the allegations as “deeply hurtful” and stressed the family stands united with the aim of preserving the memory of both Elvis, who died in 1977, and Lisa Marie.
Priscilla, 80, and Riley, 36, said: “We are aware of the latest allegations from Brigitte Kruse. These claims are not only untrue but also deeply hurtful. Our family is, and always has been, united in love and respect for one another.”
The statement, shared with People, added: “Our shared priority remains honouring Lisa Marie’s memory and protecting Elvis’ legacy with dignity. We will not allow outside voices to divide us or to diminish the strength of our bond as a family.”
The court filing, seen by The Mirror, also included a letter that Riley sent her grandmother after her mother passed away from a small bowel obstruction in January 2023. According to the lawsuit, the Daisy Jones & The Six star wrote in her letter: “Unfortunately Nona as you are taking me to court I am being forced to defend my mother’s wishes legally and publicly which would not have been my choice. It is really hurtful that after years of me trying to resolve your and my mother’s broken relationship and restore our family, you are taking me, of all people, to court.”
Riley also criticised how quickly talk of Lisa Marie’s estate began after her death. She said: “I found being called about the will, less than 24 hours after my mother passed and getting emails from lawyers before my mother was even buried, incredibly heartbreaking.”
The suit also describes Priscilla as “a calculated sociopath and master of deception, who has lived off of and exploited the ‘Presley’ name for her own personal gain.” It also claims that Priscilla was “jealous” of Lisa, that she hadn’t gotten enough from her settlement with Elvis and that she “pushed him to his death.”
The lawsuit reads, “Despite enriching herself and extorting millions of dollars from Elvis, she then placed a lien on Graceland on or around April 29, 1977, in the amount of $494,024.49, adding pressure to Elvis less than four months before he died on August 16, 1977, from a heart attack and drug complications. Priscilla exerted undue pressure on Elvis, pushing him to his death.”
A lawyer for Priscilla described the new claims in the lawsuit as “despicable” and told People: “Priscilla did not have anything to do with the assassination of JFK, she did not cover up Area 51, she did not fake the moon landing, and she is not secretly keeping Bigfoot locked in a cabin in Canada. Take off the aluminium foil hat and face reality.
“This lawsuit concerns Ms. Presley’s claims against Ms. Kruse (and her co-conspirators) in which she alleges that Ms. Kruse engaged in a relentless and calculated campaign of elder abuse and fraud in order to take control of Ms. Presley’s finances for her own benefit. Ms. Kruse’s allegations are absurd and despicable, but unfortunately, are not surprising. Ms. Presley looks forward to holding Ms. Kruse and her co-conspirators liable for their wrongful acts.”
In response, a lawyer for Kruse and Fialko insisted the documents “are in black and white and speak volumes.” He added: “To date, Ms. Presley has presented zero evidence in support of her salacious claims, and we intend to hold her accountable for her reckless behaviour.”
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