Priscilla Presley Reflects on Life with Lisa Marie and Love After Elvis

LOS ANGELES, CA – Priscilla Presley recently opened up about her complicated relationship with her late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in her new memoir. The book details the emotional struggles they faced leading up to Lisa Marie’s untimely death at 54.

Priscilla, now 80, writes that their relationship became strained after Lisa Marie’s failed bid for sole custody of her twin daughters, Harper and Finley, during her divorce from Michael Lockwood. In an early copy of the memoir obtained by USA TODAY, Priscilla recalls a moment when Lisa Marie asked for her support in claiming Lockwood was unfit to have custody. Priscilla refused, stating, “Signing it would be perjury. … To her, it was a betrayal.”

Priscilla explains that the rift fueled her worst fear: being estranged from her daughter. She laments, “I knew with a stab to my heart that she would never completely forgive me. And she never did.” The fallout from the custody battle cast a shadow on their relationship, and Lisa Marie’s struggles with addiction added to the heartbreak.

The two found solace while working on Baz Luhrmann‘s film about Elvis Presley, but the tensions resurfaced during Sofia Coppola‘s project. Priscilla notes that Lisa Marie disapproved of the script, fearing it portrayed her father negatively. “I hope she would have been proud of me,” Priscilla reflects, lamenting that Lisa Marie died of complications from bariatric surgery just weeks after filming.

Priscilla also shared insights into her relationships after Elvis, including a romance with Robert Kardashian. In her memoir, she reveals an anecdote about receiving a phone call from Elvis while in bed with Kardashian. “Elvis would have gone ballistic if he’d known Robert was in my bedroom,” Priscilla wrote, describing the humorous yet tense situation.

Despite the pressures of her past, Priscilla remembers Kardashian fondly, stating he was “the kindest of men,” and they maintained a friendship until his passing in 2003. Priscilla fondly recalls her experiences and relationships, saying, “I liked him, but I wasn’t ready to marry again.”

Priscilla’s memoir offers a poignant look at her journey through family struggles and personal relationships, presenting a heartfelt narrative as she remembers both her beloved daughter and the complexity of her own life.