How Much Did Priscilla Presley Get In Her Divorce From Elvis?
When it comes to tragic Hollywood love stories, Elvis and Priscilla Presley take the cake as one of the most heartbreaking relationships. Before headlining the tabloids in the 60s and 70s, the pair first met in 1959, after Priscilla's father –– who was in the Air Force –– got stationed in West Germany, per People. "I spotted Elvis immediately. He was handsomer than he appeared in films, younger and more vulnerable looking with his GI haircut," she recalled to the news outlet. At the time, she was 15 years old, while Elvis was ten years her senior.
After traversing the world and establishing a life at Graceland, Elvis finally asked Priscilla to marry him in December 1966. "He got on his knee with a gift behind his back and told me to close my eyes," she recalled in an interview with NPR. "Of which I did and then told me to open them, and he presented me with a beautiful engagement ring."
In 1967, the couple finally tied the knot during a brief ceremony in Las Vegas and a second wedding at Graceland followed, per Vogue. Unfortunately, the couple's seemingly perfect life with their only child, Lisa Marie Presley, came to an end in 1972. Join us as we take a look into Elvis and Priscilla's divorce and how much the latter received from the late King of Rock and Roll.
Priscilla Presley received $100,000 in their divorce
After Priscilla and Elvis Presley announced their separation in February 1972, the former lovebirds finalized their divorce that October. Like many divorced couples, the pair split their assets, according to their auctioned–court divorce documents. When the dust finally settled, Priscilla walked away with the singer's prized 1969 Cadillac Eldorado, 1971 Mercedes-Benz, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and $100,000. She also received half the income from their shared homes in Southern California. In Priscilla's book "Elvis and Me," the actress opened up about their divorce and their "principal concern" during the extensive process.
"We were both sensitive enough and still caring enough of each other's feelings to know that we wanted to avoid bitter accusations and futile attempts to assign blame," she wrote. "Our principal concern was Lisa [Marie Presley]..." Priscilla added that there was a brief period of "strain and tension" due to their lawyers working out their divorce. In an additional interview with Australia's "Sunday Night," the businesswoman said that he wasn't "cut to be married" no matter how much he wanted the family life. "I don't think he could ever be faithful to one woman," she added. While most couples become distant after divorcing, Elvis and Priscilla's story was far from over.
Priscilla and Elvis Presley remained close after divorce
In the years following their public divorce, Elvis and Priscilla Presley remained close friends, with the latter even stating she still loved him. "I love him. I still love him. I've never not loved him. Ever. Elvis and I were very close, even after we divorced," she told The Sydney Morning Harold in 2016. "He would still come over to my house. I would still sit in his lap. He would still call me my pet names that he gave me. He would still come by my house at two o'clock in the morning and talk for hours."
However, their relationship took a tragic turn when Elvis tragically died on August 16, 1977. According to The Washington Post, the acclaimed singer's autopsy revealed he died from a "cardiac arrhythmia." In a 2017 interview with ET, Priscilla opened up about her initial reaction to "The King's" death. "It was so devastating that I just went to my room and tried to contemplate how this happened and what happened," she explained. "[I lost] everything. You have to remember, he was such an impact in my life, in every way. He was my mentor, he was my confidant."
Fortunately, Priscilla was able to keep her former husband after she joined the Elvis Presley Estate as one of the executors in 1979, per Biography. In addition, "The Naked Gun" star also created Elvis Presley Enterprises, which helped revitalize the estate's finances in the years following the singer's death, per Forbes.