The hidden side of the love story of ‘king of rock and roll’ Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley controlled everything about his ex-wife, such as the way she dressed, her hair, and her behavior, according to the movie “Priscilla”.

The hidden side of Elvis and Priscilla’s love story was revealed in the biographical drama Priscilla directed by Sophia Coppola, inspired by the memoir Elvis and Me. In a speech in Italy in September, Priscilla said she was moved when watching the work about her love and life.

Trailer “Priscilla”
From Priscilla’s perspective, during their 14 years together, the two experienced ups and downs, and Elvis hurt her many times.

In 1959, Priscilla met Elvis in Western Germany – where her stepfather was a captain in the US Air Force. When he joined the army, Elvis was already a famous singer, and the two fell in love at a party. She liked his handsome looks and sense of humor, felt safe and happy when they were together. Priscilla also praised Elvis as a caring and generous person: “Anyone who has financial difficulties, he will help them.”

Priscilla befriended the singer, often listening to him confide his feelings. Through each meeting, the singer gradually revealed himself, his secrets and disappointments. In the same year, Elvis visited Priscilla’s parents and said: “I like her very much, Priscilla has mature thinking. Please don’t worry, I will take good care of her.”

When Elvis was discharged from the army in 1960, the two maintained their relationship through letters. Two years later, he invited Priscilla to live with him in the United States. They both asked Priscilla’s parents to let her stay at the singer’s mansion in Memphis (Graceland), her family reluctantly agreed. According to Priscilla, if her relatives did not do so, she probably would never forgive them. At first, she lived with her boyfriend’s step-parents but still spent the night at his mansion.

Cover of the book Elvis and Me – published in 1985. Photo: Amazon
Since then, Priscilla said she became Elvis’s “doll”. The singer controlled everything, including the way he dressed, walked, put on makeup, did his hair, and behaved. “When I did something that didn’t please him, I had to change,” Priscilla wrote in her memoir.

When buying gifts for his girlfriend, he only chose solid colors and no prints. He also didn’t want Priscilla to cut her hair, preferring her to wear heavy eye makeup and dye her hair black. The singer reminded his lover not to create wrinkles on her forehead when she looked up. Elvis also didn’t let Priscilla go to work, saying her job was to make him happy.

Their sex life also had to follow Elvis’s wishes. Priscilla affirmed that the two had never had sex while she was a minor. She often took the initiative and wanted to go further, but the singer refused: “Let him decide when that will happen.” The first time they had sex was on their wedding night on May 1, 1967 – when she was 21 years old.

The couple with their daughter in 1967
When his wife was pregnant in 1967, Elvis wanted to separate. In the last three months of pregnancy, the singer said he wanted to live separately to think. Two days later, he changed his mind. Priscilla wrote in the book: “I wasn’t sure how an unwanted pregnancy would affect our marriage. This was supposed to be private time for the two of us.”

After giving birth to Lisa Marie, she was disappointed that her husband no longer had sex with her. At the South Point Casino event in Las Vegas on October 3, Priscilla said the singer didn’t want to have more children because of his busy schedule, thinking he didn’t have enough time to take care of the baby.

Elvis also had a shortcoming of being hot-tempered and violent, Priscilla thought it was because her husband abused sedatives. According to the memoir, the singer once threw a chair at his wife’s face, violently while the two were playing, causing her to have a black eye and bruises on her arm. “When Elvis was angry, no one could resist his harsh words. I could only wait until my husband calmed down,” Priscilla wrote.

She was also hurt when her husband had an affair. When they first got together, Priscilla found a passionate letter from Elvis and actress Anita Wood. She was distraught and thought about committing suicide, feeling insecure because everyone around her was pursuing Elvis. In the book, she also admitted to having an affair with dance teacher and karate coach Mike Stone.

Priscilla said: “Elvis became my father, husband and almost God. He made many mistakes but I still forgave him until one day I could not continue. I was blinded by love.”

Evlis and Priscilla Presley
She split from Elvis in 1972 – five years before the singer died of sudden cardiac arrest. Priscilla decided to divorce because their lives were too different, that things would never change, not because they had run out of love. According to People, Priscilla still cherished the time she spent with Elvis. When she died, she wanted to be buried next to her ex-husband at Graceland. She said she would not marry anyone else after her relationship with Elvis because no one could be as special as him.

Priscilla was satisfied with the content of the film based on her memoir, but Elvis’ daughter – Lisa Marie – once said that director Sofia Coppola tarnished her father’s image. On November 2, Variety published some parts of the email exchange between Lisa Marie and the director, a few weeks before the film started filming in September 2022. “In the script, my father was portrayed as a predator. As his biological daughter, I did not see my father in any of the characters.

“Oh, I don’t get my mother’s perspective on my father. I think the director has a hateful and contemptuous view of Elvis but I don’t understand why?” Lisa wrote.

Sofia once responded to Elvis’ daughter: “When you see the work on the big screen, I hope you understand that I care a lot about honoring your mother, but at the same time I want to convey the sensitivity and complexity of Elvis.”

Elvis Presley sings “Can’t Help Falling In Love”