Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Presley Today: Celebrities Praise Priscilla Movie and Cailee Spaeny’s Performance

Priscilla Presley was moved to tears as the film Priscilla, based on her life and relationship with Elvis Presley, received a seven-minute standing ovation at its premiere during the Venice Film Festival in September. Now, at 78, she awaits the public’s response as the film hit theaters nationwide on November 3.

Starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, with Sofia Coppola at the helm as both writer and director, the film has already garnered critical acclaim. As an executive producer, Presley expressed her gratitude for the positive reception, stating she feels “humbled and honored by the great reviews and love” the film received. “Sofia did an amazing job,” Presley remarked at Venice. “She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times, and I really put everything out for her that I could.” She also took to social media to praise Spaeny’s performance, suggesting the young actress might be in the running for an Oscar due to her exceptional portrayal.

Who Is Priscilla Presley?

Priscilla Presley, an actress and businesswoman, is most widely known as the ex-wife of rock and roll legend Elvis Presley and the mother of the late singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley. Though their marriage lasted only six years, Priscilla played a pivotal role in preserving Elvis’s legacy after his death. As the chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises, she transformed Graceland into a world-renowned tourist destination. Beyond her business success, she also appeared in several films, notably The Naked Gun trilogy, and played Jenna Wade on the iconic television series Dallas in the 1980s. Her best-selling memoir Elvis and Me, which detailed her life with the King of Rock and Roll, has been adapted into the film Priscilla.

Early Life

Born Priscilla Ann Wagner on May 24, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, Priscilla’s early life was marked by tragedy when her father, a U.S. Navy pilot, died in a plane crash shortly after her birth. Her mother remarried Paul Beaulieu, an Air Force officer, and the family moved frequently due to his military career.

While living in Germany during her teenage years, Priscilla met Elvis Presley in 1959 when she was just 14 years old. At the time, Elvis, then 24, was serving in the U.S. Army. The pair developed a romantic relationship, and Priscilla eventually joined Elvis in the United States.

Marriage to Elvis Presley

After an eight-year courtship, Priscilla and Elvis married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. Their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born the following year. Though their marriage ended in divorce in 1973, they remained close, co-parenting Lisa Marie until Elvis’s death in 1977.

Following Elvis’s passing, Priscilla became the executor of his estate, transforming Elvis Presley Enterprises into a lucrative business. Under her leadership, Graceland opened to the public in 1982, becoming one of the most visited historic homes in the U.S. By the late 1980s, Elvis Presley Enterprises had expanded into various ventures, including a shopping center and the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.

In 1985, Priscilla released her memoir Elvis and Me, offering intimate insights into her relationship with the iconic musician. Today, she continues to honor Elvis’s legacy while making her own mark in the world of film and business.

Son and Grandchildren

Although Priscilla Presley never remarried, she began living with Italian screenwriter Marco Garibaldi in 1984. The couple had a son, Navarone Garibaldi Garcia, in 1987. However, their relationship ended in 2006.

Presley has three living grandchildren, all born to her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa Marie’s first marriage to Danny Keough produced daughter Riley Keough in 1989. In 2008, Lisa Marie had twin daughters, Harper and Finley Lockwood, with her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood. Riley Keough has since built a successful acting career, earning a 2023 Emmy nomination for her leading role in the Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & the Six.

Presley’s grandson, Benjamin Keough, born in 1992 to Lisa Marie and Danny Keough, tragically passed away by suicide in July 2020 at the age of 27. In a heartfelt social media post following his death, Priscilla shared: “These are some of the darkest days of my family’s life. The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. Each day I wake up, I pray it will get better.”

Acting Career and Beyond

Priscilla Presley began studying acting during her marriage to Elvis. After a few television appearances, she joined the cast of the popular nighttime soap opera Dallas in 1983, playing the role of Jenna Wade Krebbs. She went on to win a Soap Opera Digest Award the following year and remained with the show for five seasons.

Between 1988 and 1994, Presley appeared in three Naked Gun films alongside Leslie Nielsen. In addition to her acting work, she produced a television movie in 1988 based on her best-selling memoir Elvis and Me.

During the late 1990s, Presley ventured into business, launching a line of fragrances and developing her own clothing and skincare products. In 2002, she announced plans to co-produce a musical theater production, Elvis and Priscilla, based on her relationship with Elvis.

In 2008, Presley gained new fame by showcasing her dancing skills as a contestant on Season 6 of Dancing with the Stars.

Estate Dispute with Riley Keough

In January 2023, Priscilla Presley suffered the devastating loss of her daughter, Lisa Marie, who passed away suddenly from a small bowel obstruction shortly before her 55th birthday. “Our hearts are broken, and I am having to learn to live without my only daughter,” Presley shared publicly.

Following Lisa Marie’s death, Priscilla launched a legal challenge over a 2016 amendment to her daughter’s will. The amendment replaced Priscilla and Lisa Marie’s former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-trustees of her estate with her children, Riley and Benjamin Keough. After Benjamin’s passing in 2020, Riley became the sole trustee.

Priscilla contested the will’s validity, claiming the amendment was neither witnessed nor notarized, and that she had not received proper notification. Control of the Graceland estate and a 15 percent stake in Elvis Presley Enterprises were at stake.

The legal dispute reportedly caused tension between Priscilla and Riley, with reports indicating that the two were not on speaking terms. However, they reached a settlement in May 2023, with Riley officially filing the agreement in court the following month. In August, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ratified the settlement, making Riley the sole trustee of the estate and Graceland. As part of the agreement, Priscilla received a $1 million payout and an annual $100,000 salary for serving as a special adviser to the Promenade Trust. Additionally, Priscilla will be buried at Graceland near Elvis and Lisa Marie. “My feelings [about being buried there] are great. That’s, you know, what I want and wanted,” Presley shared in an interview with Piers Morgan.

The settlement also reportedly provided for her son Navarone to receive a one-ninth sub-trust, with Priscilla acting as trustee.

Elvis and Priscilla Movies

In 2022, Olivia DeJonge portrayed Priscilla Presley in the biopic Elvis, with Austin Butler playing Elvis Presley. The film, which focused on Elvis’ career and relationship with Priscilla, received widespread acclaim, although it presented a stylized portrayal of their lives.

A 2023 movie adaptation of Priscilla’s memoir, simply titled Priscilla, was released on November 3. Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, the film debuted at the Venice Film Festival in September to a standing ovation. Priscilla, serving as an executive producer, was visibly emotional during the premiere, stating at a press conference, “It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love.”

However, the film faced criticism from the Elvis Presley estate due to its depiction of certain challenging aspects of Priscilla and Elvis’ relationship. According to reports, Lisa Marie had asked Coppola to revise the script before her death to mitigate its negative portrayal of Elvis.

Priscilla Presley’s Net Worth

As of May 2023, Priscilla Presley’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $50 million.