Elvis and Priscilla Presley were, on paper, the perfect couple. Years of distrust, lying, and manipulation taint their marriage, even until the very end.
Elvis and Priscilla
The story of Elvis and Priscilla Presley is much different than what mainstream media makes it out to be. They're framed as the "perfect" couple for today's generation so very few people actually knew what went down with these two celebrities. Their relationship was not what anyone would have expected...
First Meetings
Elvis met Priscilla when he was stationed in Germany during his army service. 14-year-old Priscilla was the daughter of a US Navy pilot. Elvis was 24-years-old and already at the height of his career.
Getting Comfortable
Elvis was enamored by the Navy pilot's daughter and requested to take her out on some dates. Her father was fine with it at first, but Elvis began bringing his young daughter home past her curfew. After a stern warning, Elvis and Priscilla acted like the perfect couple.
Back to the US
Naturally, his time in the army had to come to an end at some point. Elvis returned to Los Angeles but kept in touch with Priscilla as she stayed with her father in Europe. Distance made their hearts grow fonder...
Time for a Visit
Elvis had convinced her parents to let her visit him. They had agreed on multiple conditions and Elvis paid for her flight out. Almost immediately, the two went off and did their own thing. He even took her to Las Vegas—something her parents advised against.
The Long Relationship Began
It was this pivotal visit that changed everything for the couple. Priscilla visited Elvis a few times every year until she was old enough to live on her own. Meanwhile, Elvis was still living his party-hard lifestyle... without Priscilla knowing.
Getting Married
Priscilla moved back to the states and into Graceland. After years of dealing with the King of Rock, it's expected that she'd learn to play his game. They got married when Priscilla was 22 and Elvis was 32. Apparently, Priscilla had found out about his affairs and even learned a thing or two about manipulation.
It Was Time
Elvis never thought that he'd be getting married or having children. He was born into a working-class family and never liked the lifestyle. He was born alongside his stillborn twin brother, which made him wary of having a family. Still, Priscilla insisted...
Threats?
Apparently, sources "close" to the couple claimed that Priscilla threatened Elvis to go to the press about the nitty-gritty of their relationship and even press charges about him dating her as a minor. He decided to marry her.
Getting Right To It
The couple had the wedding of the decade. Nine months later, Lisa Marie was born. Apparently, the couple claimed that they "waited" to be together until marriage. Many people, fans and haters alike, debate whether that is true or not.
Affairs on Affairs
Elvis was a known heartthrob. In the real world, Elvis' heart belonged to Priscilla. In the music world, on the other hand, everyone knew what he was really up to...
"Open" Marriage
According to the women who were lucky enough to be with Elvis, he told them that they had an open marriage. Priscilla, on the other hand, never mentioned such a thing... Not even to the press. So, what was really going on?
Going Downhill
Elvis' word was definitely not the most reliable... He began suffering from an addiction that drastically altered his perception of reality. His world was about to be turned on its axis...
His Most Famous Affair
Apparently, Elvis wasn't the one for keeping things on the down-low. He met his most famous affair, Ann Margaret, in 1964 on the set of Viva Las Vegas. The affair was so serious that Ann even had a codename for when she called Graceland, where young Priscilla was living at the time...
Confronting Elvis
Naturally, Elvis didn't keep it secret for long. Eventually, the tabloids found out about the affair and began tracking Elvis and Ann's every move. Then Priscilla found out about them...
Deny, Deny, Deny
Apparently, Priscilla confronted Elvis about the affair. Naturally, he denied it and claimed that he was spending time with his co-star for publicity. She didn't believe him.
Priscilla Played His Game
According to sources close to the couple, Elvis lost interest in Priscilla after she had their baby. He went right back to his playboy ways with his affairs. Priscilla decided that she wasn't going to just sit by and let it happen...
Priscilla Had Her Own Affairs
When Priscilla fully realized what Elvis was doing to their marriage, she decided to do it right back to him. She had an affair with her dance instructor and her karate teacher. She had no idea how Elvis was going to react when he found out...
Getting Better
When Elvis found out about her affairs, he was livid. In an attempt to keep her, he promised her that he would start treating her better and pay more attention to her. That conversation happened multiple times after multiple affairs on either side.
Calling It Quits
Finally, after years of their destructive marriage, they called it quits. In 1973, Priscilla and Elvis filed for divorce. Even though they were divorced, Elvis didn't keep his jealousy towards men in Priscilla's life a secret. They were "friends" and co-parents to Lisa Marie, but there was still bitterness...
Revelation
After their marriage was over, Priscilla was able to talk about their relationship openly and honestly. She revealed that she had no sense of her true self. After all, her entire life since the age of 14 was being Elvis' wife...
Just Elvis' Wife
Priscilla said, “I was kind of lost really in who I was earlier in my life, I really didn’t have teenage years, I learnt so much about him and was with him so much that I thought the way he did, I knew what he liked…I knew his thoughts, I knew everything as far as you could possibly do when you live together at such a young age.”
A Planned Hit?
At one point, four men rushed Elvis while he was on stage in 1973. He was convinced that they were sent by one of the men Priscilla was having an affair with. Elvis tried to hire a hitman to kill him but eventually decided against it. Things were getting too dangerous for them to stay married...
After Priscilla
Elvis didn't waste time in finding a new partner. Elvis and Linda Thompson got together (officially) five months after he and Priscilla divorced. Linda was a beauty queen from Memphis who adored the King of Rock just as everyone else did. They were together for four years.
Kept His Addiction Secret
Visually, people could tell that something was wrong with the King. He was gaining weight and unable to keep up with his performances. Even with all of this evidence, he never admitted to an abuse problem... Everyone close to him knew. Linda Thompson even said, “Elvis opened the cabinet and took out gigantic jars of pills. He began taking handfuls of pills and stuffing them into random pockets.”
All Going Downhill
It was no secret that Elvis wasn't doing well after his divorce. He was taking more pills and hitting more bottles in order to keep up with his fast-paced lifestyle. Even his relationship with Linda Thompson wasn't enough to keep his head above water. They broke up nine months before his death.
Elvis' Death
After years of substance abuse, Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, at his beloved Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee. He had a heart attack. His current fiance, 20-year-old Ginger Alden, found him in their bathroom.
Working After Death
After Elvis died, he had six singles posthumously released. They were all chart-toppers. For hardcore fans, this was an indication that he was being overworked... He somehow had all of these ready to go even after death.
His Estate
Tragically, Lisa Marie was only nine when her father passed away. She became the joint heir to her family's estate, along with Elvis' parents. After they died in 1980, she became the sole heir. At that point, she had already sold 75% of it. Needless to say, her dad left her well taken care of.
Tedious Touring
After his divorce from Priscilla, he only went downhill. He was overworked. In 1973 alone, he played 168 concerts. His health was declining.
Living Double Lives
All in all, Elvis and Priscilla basically lived double lives: what the public saw, and what only they saw. They were riddled with mistrust, emotional abuse, substance abuse, and affairs.
His Legacy
Despite his tumultuous life, Elvis and Priscilla left behind a legacy that transcended generations. Lisa Marie had four kids: Benjamin, who passed away earlier this year, Riley, Finley, and Harper. Priscilla ended up turning Graceland into a popular tourist spot to remember her late ex-husband. She never remarried.