Priscilla’s new purpose

by Metropol | November 12, 2025 8:45 am

Priscilla Presley grew into womanhood in isolation and restriction. On 19 November at the Isaac Theatre Royal, ‘An Evening with Priscilla Presley: Life After Elvis’ takes back control of her own narrative – a privilege she wasn’t often afforded during her time with the King of Rock and Roll. The resilient Ms Presley tells Metropol editor Nina Tucker why it’s time she shared her truth.

“As I’m getting older, I figured I would rather tell my story than let somebody else,” Priscilla tells me over Zoom in early November. The actress, businesswoman and philanthropist will host an intimate storytelling and Q&A-style show in Christchurch – and she’s not afraid to answer questions with the truth. “If they [the audience] ask me a question that is completely offbeat… I’m going to say that isn’t true.”

Long before and long after she took one of the most famous surnames in existence, Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis was the centre of celebrity gossip. From her years in the limelight to those spent in the shadow of his, Priscilla has faced questions and heard stories so “terrible” that telling her own has become the only way to preserve how their time together really was. It’s Priscilla’s response to those who just can’t accept “the fact that he married me, and we were very, very close,” she says. “It’s sad to me, because, first of all, I’m not going to even tend to that,” – but the fact that those myths are out there still hurts.

Rumours swirl fifty years on from the finalisation of their divorce, even with each time she’s set the record straight. “Elvis and I had a really great, wonderful relationship even after we were married. There are a lot of people out there who don’t want to believe that.” In her memoir, Softly As I Leave You: Life After Elvis, which An Evening with Priscilla Presley: Life After Elvis dives into, Priscilla writes “I never regretted my decision to leave Elvis. But I never ceased to mourn it.”

Among her greatest memories in her 80 years, Priscilla shares her top three with me: welcoming her daughter Lisa Marie Presley, son Navarone Garibaldi Garcia with then-partner Marco Garibaldi, and her wonderful time with Elvis. “Having that relationship with him, and that trust with him,” she remembers. “Even though I left, you know, I’ve always loved him, and still do to this day, it’s just that I couldn’t take the lifestyle. I couldn’t take the women,” she says, gingerly.

Clawing back at the life and years she lost once she moved into the Graceland mansion at 17, and the whirlwind three years prior so unconventional to a high-schooler after meeting Elvis, each rare story told is an opportunity to heal. “Talking to people, sharing my life,” is how she hopes to spend her years to come – a therapeutic gesture for a history so extraordinary. Priscilla had been probed to write another book, even have someone write it for her. That didn’t feel right, and she didn’t feel ready. Her lens is exclusive authority – it demanded deeper, more personal reflection and conversation – and you can be part of it. Tickets, including VIP options to meet the Hollywood royalty, are available now at premier.ticketek.co.nz.

Life after Elvis

Priscilla reclaimed her identity when she left Elvis – becoming an actress and producer beloved for roles in the television series Dallas and The Naked Gun films, yet her lesser-known achievements recognise her great love for animals. A powerful activist and advocate, Priscilla has campaigned against animal cruelty and for their rights for decades, remaining involved with and supporting multiple organisations. “I’m such an animal lover,” she says. Her extensive reach and platform is helpful when advocating better standards and attending charity galas, however Priscilla exercises just as much dedication with no one watching. “If there’s an animal that needs help, I will call [the organisation] and they’ll come,” she says. “If I see a dog that needs help, or if there’s an owner that’s not treating the animal well, I’ll report it.”

Priscilla has finally managed to live her life on her own accord. “I’m not pressured to do anything. It just feels great.” Her future is rich in days just as they are now, she tells me, the peaceful bliss of beautiful Los Angeles – with strictly no snow, unlike where she spent most of her childhood in Connecticut. An appreciation for her home, the LA lifestyle is one she loves, made better by being near her son Navarone. “I can’t complain.” For her years spent trapped and suffocated, and by her own account, being a “living doll” moulded to fit Elvis’ ideal image, it was a beautiful thing to hear her say that.

Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/priscillas-new-purpose/

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