Who Was Priscilla Presley's Longtime Partner, Marco Garibaldi?
It has been half a century since her divorce from Elvis Presley, but Priscilla Presley has never remarried. That doesn't mean she's spent her life alone, though. In fact, Presley dated Marco Garibaldi for more than two decades. According to Page Six, the pair were introduced in 1984 and welcomed a son, Navarone Garcia, in March 1987. Presley and Garibaldi remained happily together until 2006.
The couple's son, Navarone, married Elisa Achilli in Switzerland in February 2022, and Presley was over the moon. As she told People, "They've been together for four years and we've all been waiting patiently for this day." However, despite her enthusiasm over the young couple's nuptials, Presley and Garibaldi never chose to walk down the aisle themselves. This is likely a decision both parties are glad to have made, as they ultimately split after 22 years together.
So, who is Presley's former longtime beau and what do we know about him?
Marco Garibaldi is a man of many talents
When it comes to career paths, Marco Garibaldi has done a little in a lot of industries. According to IMDb, he was the director for three episodes of the "Might Morphin Power Rangers" TV series and the producer for the 2009 film "Across the Hall." The Daily Mail describes Garibaldi as a "Brazillian screenwriter turned computer programmer," which is quite a turn of career interests. Further, the outlet reports that Garibaldi and Priscilla Presley lived together in Beverly Hills during their relationship.
Daily Mail reports that Garibaldi also wrote for the series "Dallas," which Presley starred in, and they were actually introduced because he wrote a script he wanted her to read. It is believed that Presley also had Garibaldi sign an agreement at the start of their relationship that he wouldn't write a book about her if they broke up (via Daily Mail). Though the agreement was only rumored and never confirmed, there hasn't been a book on the subject penned by Garibaldi as of yet.
He founded Godfather Entertainment
The Hollywood Reporter credits Garibaldi for launching Graceland merchandise into a thriving business, and his entrepreneurial spirit even led him to found his own production company, Godfather Entertainment to make high-budget movies in a whole new way. "The studios are in business to spend money," he said. "I want to make movies for less and put every dime of it on the screen." Their flagship project was a remake of Peter Sellers' cult classic "The Party," though they also produced "Across the Hall" with the late Brittany Murphy in 2009.
Jonathan Kesselman signed on to direct the film, according to Digital Spy. It appears the film never made it to theaters as production was never completed. It is also unclear whether or not Godfather Entertainment is still operating, as Garibaldi keeps a low profile. One thing is for sure — Garibaldi is a man of many different interests and talents, so who knows what industry he'll turn up in next. Is he primarily a screenwriter or a producer or a computer programmer? Is it going to change? We'll stay tuned.
Priscilla Presley's blended family
Priscilla Presley and Marco Garibaldi made sure that their son, Navarone Garibaldi, didn't feel the pressure of Elvis Presley's specter — or even the pressure from that of his older sister, Lisa Marie Presley. Priscilla told The Guardian that Navarone was independent of that. "He wants to do his own thing and I'm really proud of him," she explained. "He doesn't want to step into the spotlight, and he's always been that way. He's not riding on Elvis and he's not riding on Lisa. We have never been, 'Elvis this, Elvis that,' to our children because otherwise you're building up something that is almost unreachable for them." That's certainly a wise tactic.
Navarone was 19 years younger than Lisa Marie, and so the two had a different relationship, due to the age gap, than an average sibling dynamic. When Lisa Marie died, Navarone jumped on Instagram to express his sorrow. "Big sister... i hope you are now at peace and happy with your Dad and your son by your side," he wrote. But Navarone hinted at some difficulties between the two of them. "I know the past couple years weren't easy for you, and I wish things had been different between us," he went on. "Regardless, you are my sister and I'm sending love and prayers for your journey home. I still can't believe this, I'm lost for words. Love you sis. Beijos." What a loss for the Presley and Garibaldi families.