Why Priscilla Presley Never Remarried After Elvis Presley's Death
Originally appeared on E! Online
Priscilla Presley is still stuck on Elvis Presley after all these years.
The actress and ex-wife of the late music icon recently addressed why she hasn't gotten remarried since ending their six-year union in 1973, explaining that she did not think Elvis "could handle that" when he was alive.
"To be honest with you," she told the audience during a Q&A at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas Nov. 3, per People, "I never wanted to marry after him."
It's been long rumored that Priscilla made a vow to never walk down the aisle again as long as Elvis was alive. Though the 78-year-old did not confirm if the rumor was true, she did note that she "never had any desire" to marry even after the singer died in 1977, just four years after their divorce.
As she explained, "No one could ever match him."
Priscilla also shared why the former couple didn't have more kids following the 1968 birth of their only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. "Elvis felt he had a very busy schedule and he did have a bit of guilt that he wasn't around that much when Lisa was younger," she said. "With his scheduling and his touring, he just felt he wasn't around enough to give a lot of attention to having another child."
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Priscilla's relationship with the King of Rock and Roll was documented her 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, which was recently adapted into a film starring Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny. Released last month, the project received Priscilla's seal of approval as executive producer, though it was condemned by her daughter Lisa Marie before her sudden death at the age of 54.
"My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative," Lisa Marie wrote to director Sofia Coppola in a 2022 email correspondence obtained and published by Variety. "As his daughter, I don't read this and see any of my father in this character. I don't read this and see my mother's perspective of my father. I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don't understand why?"
In her message, Lisa Marie—who died of complications resulting from small bowel obstruction in January—said she was "worried that my mother isn't seeing the nuance here or realizing the way in which Elvis will be perceived when this movie comes out."
"I feel protective over my mother who has spent her whole life elevating my father's legacy," the "Lights Out" musician continued at the time. "I am worried she doesn't understand the intentions behind this film or the outcome it will have."
E! News previously reached out to reps for Sofia and Lisa Marie's estate for comment but did not hear back. However, Sofia's spokesperson shared with Variety what the filmmaker wrote back, which read, "I hope that when you see the final film you will feel differently and understand I'm taking great care in honoring your mother, while also presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity."
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