Priscilla Presley Was 'Devastated' When 'Broke' Lisa Marie Sold 85% Of Her Inheritance (Which Included Graceland) 

NEED TO KNOW Priscilla Presley wrote about when her daughter Lisa Marie sold 85 percent of her inheritance, which included Graceland, because she was "broke" The financial decision left Priscilla "devastated" Softly as I Leave You: Life After Elvis is available for purchase wherever books are sold Priscilla Presley is looking back on a challenging moment in her life. In her new memoir Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis, Priscilla, 80, recalled when her daughter Lisa Marie Presley sold 85% of her inheritance, which included Graceland, because she was "broke." Priscilla writes that her family experienced a "personal and financial crisis" in 2005. Lisa Marie had come into her inheritance 12 years prior in 1993. At that point, however, the late singer — who died in January 2023 at 54 — was "broke." Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley in Las Vegas in April 2015. Bryan Steffy/WireImage Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Priscilla wasn't confident that her daughter had been receiving "good financial advice" and found addressing the issue with Lisa Marie to be "very very delicate." She didn't anticipate how Lisa Marie would solve the problem. In August 2005, Lisa Marie would sell 85% of her inheritance, which included Graceland. She retained the house, grounds and her father Elvis Presley's personal effects, but relinquished control of "Elvis' legacy." Priscilla Presley; Lisa Marie Presley. Paul Archuleta/Getty; Todd Williamson/NBC/NBC via Getty Priscilla wrote that she was "devastated." She described it as a "bad financial decision," since Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises would create a stream of income. However, she was more so "gutted" to lose what she considered her "emotional home, not to mention losing control of Elvis’s legacy." "I was heartbroken," added Priscilla. Priscilla said she had spent so much time creating Graceland's legacy and turning it into something Elvis, who bought the estate in 1957 and lived there until he died 20 years later, would be proud of. 'Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis' by Priscilla Presley. Grand Central Publishing She opened an annex on the property and worked with Lisa Marie to curate an exhibit of Elvis' personal items, which included his gold records. Throughout his lifetime, Elvis was awarded 117 gold, 67 platinum, and 27 multi-platinum album awards by the Recording Industry Association of America. Priscilla likened each record to a work of art that would stop fans in their tracks upon entering the space that displayed them. Five years after Elvis died, Priscilla opened Graceland to the public after being told years earlier that she would need to sell Graceland since it was "bleeding money" after his death. The home now welcomes over 600,000 visitors a year, per the estate's website. Lisa Marie's ownership of Graceland was passed down in a living trust to her daughters, Riley Keough, and twins Harper and Finley Lockwood, upon her death in January 2023. Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Mick Hutson/Redferns Elvis, his parents — mother Gladys and father Vernon Presley — his paternal grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, Lisa Marie and her son, Benjamin Keough, are all buried at Graceland. Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis is available for purchase wherever books are sold.


‘Was Difficult To Leave Him’: Priscilla Presley On Her Marriage With Elvis Presley 

Last Updated:September 25, 2025, 17:47 IST Priscilla Presley’s new memoir is called Softly As I Leave You. (Photo Credit: Instagram) Elvis Presley is considered one of the most polarising figures in the world of music. Alongside his remarkable career, Elvis’ love life, especially his marriage to Priscilla, drew significant attention from fans and the media. Decades after his death, Elvis and Priscilla’s marital life remains one of the most thoroughly analysed topics. As Priscilla Presley comes out with a new memoir titled Softly As I Leave You, her marriage and life with the King of Rock and Roll have come under the spotlight once again. Priscilla Presley Reveals It Was ‘Difficult’ To Leave Elvis Presley During an appearance on The Late Show hosted by Stephen Colbert, Priscilla opened up about her new memoir and shared that the book is about her life with Elvis and how difficult it was to leave him. “It was a very difficult book for me to write. He was the love of my life, and the type of life we had was very fast, but it was his life," she shared, explaining that she wrote the book because she wanted “to say a lot,and I thought that people would be interested to hear about my life, how I handled it and, of course, my relationship with Elvis. People have been asking me about doing a book for so long, so I thought that it was finally time," she added. ‘I Didn’t Leave Him Because I Didn’t Love Him’ – Priscilla Clarifies While talking about the reasons behind writing the book, Priscilla shared that she wanted to tell everyone the story so that she could get it off her chest. “I wanted to clear some things up, like, for example, I didn’t leave him because I didn’t love him; I love him to this day. The lifestyle was just very difficult; I had a little girl, and I had guys all around me all the time. There were about six of them around, and it was completely a guy’s world, and I kind of felt a bit left out," she revealed, explaining that her life with Elvis made her realise that she had to build something of her own and therefore took dance classes and joined the gym to keep herself occupied. Priscilla and Elvis Presley’s Relationship Priscilla and Elvis first met in 1959 when Elvis was stationed in Germany with the US Army. They shared a 14-year age gap, but they couldn’t help but fall in love with each other. The couple tied the knot in 1967 and had their daughter in 1968. Later in 1972, they got separated; after two attempts, their divorce was finalised in 1973, where they agreed to share custody of their daughter. Kashvi Raj Singh Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-...Read More Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-... Read More Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. Stay updated with the latest news from Hollywood, upcoming english movie releases, red carpet moments, box office collections, reviews, and trailers. You can also download the News18 App. First Published: September 25, 2025, 17:41 IST News movies hollywood ‘Was Difficult To Leave Him’: Priscilla Presley On Her Marriage With Elvis PresleyDisclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Priscilla Presley Reveals Late Daughter Lisa Marie 'Loved' Using Family Name 

Priscilla Presley looked back at her late daughter Lisa Marie Presley's childhood, and she revealed she always proudly embraced their family name. During an event at the 92Y in New York City on Wednesday, September 24, Priscilla, 80, spoke about her new memoir, Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis, and shared stories about her life while speaking to moderator Budd Mishkin. "With all respect to Elvis and love for her father, do you think she ever had moments of, 'Oh, I really wish my name was something other than Presley?'" Mishkin asked before Priscilla revealed she was always enthused with being associated with their family. She shared, "No, she loved her name." She then added that Lisa Marie would always "use it." In fact, Priscilla recalled Lisa Marie always telling people, "You know, I'm Lisa Presley. Do you know who my dad is?' And she was only like 9 or 10 years old. She knew she had a good name." Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Lisa Marie died at the age of 54 in 2023 from a small bowel obstruction. In addition to sharing the sweet story about Lisa Marie, Priscilla also revealed how Lisa Marie missed her father, Elvis Presley, after he died in 1977 when she was just 9 years old. "I found a letter from her that she basically was writing to herself, really. And how much she missed her dad. And one of the things that she wanted to do with him and the loss of — you know, that she felt she missed out," Priscilla shared. Priscilla added that the situation "literally broke my heart" because the "relationship" Lisa Marie had with Elvis meant "everything to her." She continued, "And he played a big role in her life. It was very heartbreaking." Elvis and Priscilla were married from 1967 until 1973. Following their split, she welcomed son Navarone Garibaldi in 1987 with Marco Garibaldi. This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.