Since the January 2023 death of Elvis Presley's only child Lisa Marie Presley transferred the sole ownership of his estate into the hands of his granddaughter, Riley Keough, his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, has been shuffled into a minor role, and she hasn't been happy about it.
Shortly after the death of her daughter, Priscilla filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to contest amendments to a living trust that named her granddaughter sole trustee and removed her and former business manager Barry Siegel as co-trustees. Allowed to act as special adviser to the trust and receive a monthly payment for her role, Priscilla is back in court again, claiming "financial elder abuse" due to her ex-business partners and Priscilla Presley Partners, LLC leading to the misappropriation of more than $1 million dollars, forcing her into a "form of indentured servitude."
According to the details of the latest filing, which were first reported on by TMZ and picked up by other outlets such as People, Priscilla's lawyer Marty Singer writes that ex-partner Brigitte Kruse left her high and dry by "gaining her trust, isolating her from the most important people in her life, and duping her into believing that they would take care of her (personally and financially)."
"This action arises out of a meticulously planned and abhorrent scheme by the defendants in this action to prey on an older woman," Singer adds in the lawsuit.
In response to the allegations, Kruse posted a Winston Churchill quote to her Instagram on Saturday afternoon and wrote, “The truth always comes out. Sometimes, you must stand still, pray for those that hurt you so deeply that it steals your breath, your words, breaks your heart and scars your soul. Trust that the good Lord will do the work. I pray for blessings everyday for those that truly need them (even if they have hurt me).”
As Vulture points out, Kruse sued Priscilla in October 2023, claiming that she "illegally walked away from their business partnership around the time of her daughter Lisa Marie’s death."
Priscilla and Kruse, primarily an auctioneer, began their working relationship in 2021 after meeting via mutual friends and discussing ways in which Kruse could help to sell Elvis memorabilia. From there, Kruse was able to "fraudulently induce [Priscilla] into giving them power of attorney, control over her family and personal trusts, and control over her bank accounts," per the lawsuit.
On July 25, GWS Auctions issued a statement regarding the allegations, writing, "GWS stands behind everything that it sells, and categorically denies trafficking in fake or inauthentic items attributed to Elvis Presley, or otherwise. Through innuendo, and without proof, a shadow has been unfairly cast over GWS and its operations after over 15 years of stellar service to its consignors, bidders, and buyers."
