Priscilla Presley Reveals True Motive for Elvis Split and Enduring Love in New Memoir

Priscilla Presley's recently released memoir uncovers the true motive behind her departure from Elvis Presley — alongside insights into the enduring influence the music icon held in her life, even post-separation.

“My departure from Elvis was not due to a lack of affection. My love for him was as strong on the day I departed as it was when we exchanged vows,” Priscilla, currently 80, penned in her book, Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, released on Tuesday, September 23. “I chose to leave Elvis because I required an independent existence. I was immersed in his world. Much like Elvis sought purpose in his life, so too was I seeking my own.”

Priscilla has openly spoken before about her relationship with her karate teacher, Mike Stone, yet she clarifies in this new publication that he merely served as “a single contributing factor” in her separation from Elvis.

“Our union had been deteriorating for a considerable time,” she stated.

Priscilla Presley 'Never Felt the Urge' to Wed Again Following Elvis Presley

Priscilla's initial encounter with Elvis occurred at age 14. Their physical intimacy commenced only after their marriage in May 1967, by which time she was 21. The ex-spouses had a single child, their late daughter Lisa Marie Presley, whose birth was in February 1968. (Priscilla disclosed that Elvis inquired about her interest in an abortion during her pregnancy.)

Priscilla initiated divorce proceedings against Elvis in 1972, when Lisa Marie was four. Their separation was legally completed the subsequent year. Elvis passed away at 42 in 1977.

Continue below for Priscilla’s disclosures concerning Elvis, drawn from Softly, As I Leave You:

The Reason for Their Separation

Priscilla clarified that Elvis “was used to being the priority” and found himself “unready to divide” her attention with Lisa Marie.

“I grew envious of a caregiver looking after my child when I believed it was my role,” Priscilla stated. “I experienced guilt over the presence of a nanny when Lisa awoke crying late at night.”

Priscilla expressed that she “endured difficulties” during this period of her existence.

“Maintaining our family unit was arduous. I perceived myself as having failed in my capacities as both a parent and a spouse. Ultimately, I was compelled to make a choice,” she went on. “When Lisa reached four years of age, I understood a decision had to be made. Consequently, I concluded it was time for my departure. Elvis was taken aback.”

Insights into Their Intimate Relationship

Priscilla documented that “Elvis's sexual desire for me diminished” following the birth of Lisa Marie.

“He had never been capable of intimate relations with a woman who had given birth,” she recounted. “He had idealized his mother, and subsequent to Lisa’s arrival, he placed me in a similar elevated position. Intimacy is unattainable from such a revered height.”

The musician consistently displayed a “flirtatious and highly affectionate” demeanor, though it progressed no further. They engaged in sexual intercourse one final time after Priscilla made her decision to depart. Elvis, she stated, believed her affair was connected to the divorce.

All of Priscilla Presley's Statements Regarding Her Union with Elvis

“My departure was not instigated by Elvis having imposed himself upon me after discovering Mike. He had not. Elvis had experienced a sense of emasculation,” she recorded. “Elvis engaged in intimacy with me with intensity, rather than coercion. His characteristic gentleness and regard for me were absent. It caused emotional pain, leaving me with an unfortunate recollection of my ultimate sexual encounter with Elvis.”

Elvis’s Persistent Phone Calls

While Priscilla was in a relationship with Robert Kardashian Sr., she got a call late at night from Elvis, a man who “invariably made situations more intricate,” as she documented.

“Robert was deeply asleep beside me when the telephone chimed at 2:00 a.m. Luckily, he was a heavy sleeper, enabling me to spring from bed and answer the call prior to his awakening,” she recounted. “Elvis was phoning from his hotel post-show. … It had clearly never crossed his mind that I might be in the company of another individual. Notwithstanding our divorce, he remained unable to comprehend my involvement with anyone else.”

Kardashian, who passed away in September 2003, “remained unaware” of her receiving a call from Elvis on that particular evening.

Austin Butler’s Depiction of Elvis

Priscilla commended the 2022 film Elvis and noted the “courage” Butler exhibited in portraying her former spouse.

“His performance was remarkable. His vocal resemblance to Elvis was eerily accurate,” she documented. “Among all the actors I had witnessed embodying Elvis, I had never encountered anyone comparable to Austin.”