What Life Is Like For Priscilla Presley Today
The following article includes descriptions of an underage relationship and references to suicide.
When Priscilla Presley was just 14 years old, her life changed forever. At the time, she and her family had just moved to Germany for her father's job in the military, and Priscilla was still getting used to living in a new environment. Then, one day, she crossed paths with a handsome fellow with charisma. As Priscilla would later recall in a piece for People, "One warm summer afternoon I was sitting with my brother Don at the Eagles Club, a place where American service families went for dinner and entertainment, when I noticed a handsome man in his 20s staring at me."
That man was, of course, Elvis Presley. Following that initial encounter, it didn't take long for Priscilla and the singer to become involved. Naturally, though, their liaison was controversial — while Elvis was 24, Priscilla was little more than a schoolgirl. Even for the standards of the time — the late 1950s — Elvis' interest in such a young girl was considered unusual. At one point, Priscilla divulged that her father confronted the star, asking him, "Just what is the intent here? Let's face it: You're Elvis Presley. You have women throwing themselves at you. Why my daughter?"
These days, however, more than 40 years have passed since Elvis' death, and Priscilla is hardly a schoolgirl. As a cultural icon and a grandmother, Priscilla continues to live lavishly. That being said, she also has struggled with her family's complicated legacy.
Priscilla Presley lives in a stunning California penthouse
In many ways, Priscilla Presley lives a very privileged life. Rumor has it that her assets are worth approximately $50 million, and, in many ways, this makes sense. Over the years, Priscilla has worked as an actor, opened a hotel, and participated in a number of lucrative Elvis-related projects. All of these endeavors have ensured that the cultural icon can continue to enjoy certain luxuries — among them an elegant penthouse in California.
As reported by Taste of Country, Priscilla lives in a gorgeous 3,242-square-foot condominium located in an exclusive building with stunning European-style gardens. Her unit, which she purchased for $4.8 million, boasts three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, all of which have been perfectly decorated. Photos of Priscilla's condo reveal pink pastel walls, shimmering chandeliers, and a gorgeous marble fireplace. The living room looks particularly comfortable, with a wet bar nestled into the back wall. The unit's pièce de résistance, though, is almost certainly the main bathroom, which boasts a gorgeous bathtub, a luxurious steam shower, and a makeup station.
Of course, a condo is only as luxurious as the building where it is located, and Priscilla's seems fantastic. Residents enjoy access to a shared pool, tennis courts, and even a clubhouse. There is also 24/7 gated security. All these amenities seem to be great for the proud grandmother, who frequently hosts her twin granddaughters, Harper and Finley, at the condo, according to TMZ.
She cares for her beloved pets
Priscilla Presley's grandchildren aren't the only faces that you'll find at her stunning California penthouse. The stunning fashionista also keeps a number of adorable pets in her abode.
According to her Instagram, Priscilla has at least two dogs, Boz and Ridley, who have been known to give her comfort during difficult times. This was especially clear back in 2019, when the California-based actor told her followers that one of her old horses had died. Priscilla wrote, "After hearing the sad sad news from Graceland this morning that Max, one of our horses, had just passed, both my dogs Boz and little Ridley immediately rushed over to comfort me."
If Priscilla gets love and affection from her two loyal hounds, she also has been known to give it back in spades. In contrast to many celebrities, who hire dog walkers, Priscilla has been known to take her own pups on a stroll. As if that weren't adorable enough, the style icon has been known to speak out about the way that she believes pets should be treated. As she told Closer Weekly in 2019, "You know what it comes from the home, parents and especially when you have an animal, I think it's very important for your children to grow up with animals to show compassion for them ... That they have feelings and not to be cruel with them and be patient with them."
The cultural icon is also an activist
While Priscilla Presley has strong feelings about how dogs should be treated, she seems to have stronger feelings about how they shouldn't be treated. Because of this, you can occasionally find Priscilla marching in the streets over issues related to animal rights. This was especially clear back in 2018 when she attended a protest against the international dog meat trade.
Throughout the gathering, Presley garnered quite a bit of attention by carrying a dead pooch in her arms. At the time, protest organizer, Chris DeRose, was quoted by USA Today, stating, "The dogs represented those that are routinely tortured before they are hung, beaten, electrocuted or boiled alive on South Korean dog meat farms."
Not all of Priscilla's protesting has been so shocking, however. She has also been an avid supporter of The PAST Act, which would make it illegal to practice a chemical process called soring on quarter horses. Speaking to TravelGirl about this issue, Priscilla explained, "I've been to Washington to lobby senators and congressmen to co-sponsor in support of the PAST Act. Elvis surprised me with a 3-year-old black quarter horse named Domino for Christmas once and I would ride every day. I want to protect these horses from harm." As of the publication of this article, the PAST Act was passed by Congress but not by the Senate. This means that Priscilla's fight for animal rights is far from over.
She supports The Dream Foundation
Animal rights is not the only issue that Priscilla Presley cares about. These days, she continues to be involved in her work for The Dream Foundation, an organization that seeks to grant end-of-life wishes to adults with terminal illnesses.
As Priscilla wrote for CNN in 2014, "I first heard of Dream Foundation in 1997 when the charity requested a visit to Graceland for a dream recipient. After the visit, I received a thank-you note and photo of the dreamer in front of the Graceland gates. I was moved by her experience and decided I wanted to get more involved, so I picked up the phone to find out more about the foundation."
Since that initial encounter, Priscilla has become an active member of the organization, even taking on the role of a spokesperson and ambassador. In this capacity, Priscilla says that she has done a tremendous amount of good work for the foundation. In her piece for CNN, the icon wrote that her job is "to travel and represent the organization across the country at special events and corporate meetings, as well as in public service announcements, television and print interviews." During the COVID-19 pandemic, Priscilla even represented the organization remotely. At one point, she made a video for the Dream Foundation's Facebook, in which she promoted a documentary showing some of the charity's good work.
Priscilla has struggled enormously with grief
Perhaps one of the reasons that Priscilla Presley cares so much about the lives of others is that she has experienced her fair share of grief throughout the years. When her ex-husband, Elvis Presley, died in 1977, Priscilla was crushed, feeling that she had lost a best friend. In 2020, she experienced loss once more when her grandson, Benjamin Keough, died by suicide. Just three years later, Priscilla found herself mourning the loss of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died of a small bowel obstruction.
It almost goes without saying that it has not been easy for Priscilla to cope with this level of grief. Speaking to this experience on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Priscilla said, "In all honesty, it has been pretty tough. You know, I lost my mom, and then I lost my grandson, and then I lost my daughter." She went on to add, "I have my good days and I have my bad days."
According to Priscilla, one of the most challenging parts of losing these close family members has been learning to live without them on a day-to-day basis. As she told Piers Morgan, "It's difficult to wake up in the morning and not have a call from my daughter, or wonder how my grandson is doing. It's like a large part of your life is taken away."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
She supported Sofia Coppola's film Priscilla
Like many cultural icons, Priscilla Presley watched Hollywood dream up "Priscilla" — a 2023 movie about her life. However, unlike some of the other subjects of Tinsel Town creations, Priscilla actually got to help bring said movie to life. Indeed, Elvis Presley's ex-wife sat down with the filmmaker, Sofia Coppola, to help her make the movie as accurate as possible.
Chatting about this matter on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Priscilla said that Coppola "did some homework. I mean, she and I, we talked about it." According to Priscilla, one of the things that the movie captured was the fact that her life with Elvis was not always butterflies and rainbows: "People think, 'Oh, how wonderful, it's great, it's Elvis Presley,' but I went through the ups and downs with him in a very crucial part of his life."
Just because the movie turned out well, however, does not mean that Priscilla did not initially have some worries about how it would be received. As she told Piers Morgan, "When you have a movie that's about you, you never know how people are going to take it. You never know if they are going to understand it." Ultimately, though, when the movie premiere got a standing ovation, Priscilla felt relieved. In the same interview, she said, "I was happy for Sofia. She was quite nervous about it."
Elvis' ex-wife has faced new interpretations of her marriage
When Priscilla Presley first met Elvis Presley in 1959, she was a 14-year-old schoolgirl. He was a world-famous singer and a decade her senior. Nevertheless, she spent time with him alone in his bedroom. As she would later recount in a 1985 piece for People: "Upstairs in Elvis' room, which was as plain and impersonal as the other rooms in the house, I cuddled in his arms as Elvis talked to me about his mother ... When it was time for me to go, he kissed me goodbye — my first real kiss. He broke away first, saying, 'We have plenty of time, little one.'"
At the time, this story might have raised a few eyebrows — at one point, Priscilla admitted that her parents banned her from seeing the rock star. However, in 2023, the reaction to Elvis and Priscilla's age gap has become more intense. As reported by Hypebae, the 2023 release of the film "Priscilla" opened conversations regarding issues of grooming among the younger generations. Meanwhile, The New Yorker called the role of Priscilla's parents in her relationship "unfathomable."
As for Priscilla herself, she has been forced to respond to these new interpretations of her marriage. Speaking on "Piers Morgan: Uncensored," the icon did not seem to know how to respond to Piers Morgan's questions about any potential grooming on Elvis' end. "Because it was a different time. It was the early '60s," she said.
Priscilla Presley has learned to live without regrets
Priscilla Presley has not always had an easy go of things, but the gorgeous fashionista has learned how to come to terms with her past. And, as Priscilla revealed on "Piers Morgan: Uncensored," she does not have many regrets about the way that she lived her life, preferring to accept things the way they are.
At one point in his interview with Priscila, Morgan asked the former actor, "When you watched 'Elvis' the movie, and now 'Priscilla,' and it's made you revisit all these times that you had with him, do you have any part of you that thinks, 'If only I'd done this, this, or this, things could have turned out differently'?"
After briefly reflecting on this question, Priscilla replied that she wouldn't have changed anything about their relationship. She said: "I don't know. I don't think so. Because I really, you know, I gave my all to him. I couldn't change his mind. I mean, he was strong-minded."
She still gets emotional listening to Elvis' songs
At the end of the day, Elvis Presley is remembered for being one of the biggest rock stars that the world has ever seen — and Priscilla Presley has not forgotten that side of him. During her appearance on "Piers Morgan: Uncensored," Piers Morgan asked Priscilla which of Elvis' songs had the most impact on her. Before the journalist could even finish asking the question, Priscilla blurted "Memories."
Of course, just because Priscilla enjoys her ex-husband's music does not mean that she listens to his songs on repeat. If anything, she says that she tries to avoid them. "I don't listen to them ... very often because it just, you know, I go into another place," she explained. That being said, Priscilla admits that Elvis' music continues to carry meaning for her. According to the brunette, the reason for this has everything to do with the feelings that she still harbors for her late flame. As Priscilla told Piers Morgan, "But sometimes I am a little surprised at myself that I still get emotional and ... the love is still there."
In the same interview, Priscilla confessed that she still feels Elvis' absence all these years later. "I miss him. I miss him very much. I miss his words. I miss his love. I miss his laugh. I miss his energy. I miss the fun times."
Priscilla has plenty of adoring fans
Priscilla Presley may never have been a rock star, but that does not mean that she does not have plenty of adoring fans. As both a cultural and a fashion icon in her own right, Priscilla has attracted quite the following over the years. And, from what we can tell, her public loves her.
Chatting about this phenomenon on "Piers Morgan: Uncensored," Priscilla opened up about the way that people react to her in public, calling her fans "friendly, very friendly." When asked by Morgan if people ever clap when they see her, Priscilla said that it definitely happens at times: "Yeah, sometimes they will do it."
Just like any big star, though, Priscilla doesn't just receive a lot of love from her fans — she also doles it right back to them. One video by X17 shows the gorgeous fashionista greeting the public in Los Angeles. When asked for her autograph, Priscilla seemed to react with genuine joy. "Wow," she gushed while signing the "Elvis" soundtrack vinyl. Later, she politely asked her fans questions, making a bit of small talk with her biggest admirers.
Priscilla Presley wants to be buried at Graceland
Although Priscilla Presley's marriage with the late Elvis Presley was far from perfect, she has expressed an interest in being buried beside him at his former home in Graceland. As Piers Morgan explained on his show, "Piers Morgan: Uncensored," this arrangement makes sense for a number of reasons. For one thing, Priscilla has been remembered as the love of Elvis' life. And, for another, the couple's late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, has also been buried in the cemetery.
She made this wish known in early 2023, telling People in a statement: "Although I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, it is my family's and my wish for me to be laid to rest with my daughter and the love of my life when that time comes."
Naturally, it is very difficult to determine where Priscilla will be buried. However, as of now, Graceland owner, Riley Keough — who is also Priscilla's eldest granddaughter — says that she is committed to making sure that this happens. According to court documents released to People, "To the extent of her authority, Riley agrees to allow Priscilla to be buried upon her death in the Meditation Garden of Graceland. The burial location will be at the location closest to Elvis Presley without moving any existing grave site."