Priscilla Presley: All About Her Tragic Blows Of Fate

Priscilla Presley, born Priscilla Ann Wagner on May 24, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, faced early tragedy when her father, James Wagner, a U.S. Navy pilot, died in a plane crash shortly after her birth. In 1948, her mother, Ann, remarried Paul Beaulieu, an Air Force officer, providing Priscilla with a stable family environment.

Priscilla and Elvis Presley met when she was only 14 years old. Eight years later, they were married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. Their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born the following year, in 1968.

Ultimately, their marriage didn't last, ending in divorce on October 9, 1973. However, Elvis and Priscilla remained friends and co-parented Lisa Marie until his death in 1977.

Two years later, Priscilla became the executor of Elvis' estate, including Graceland, and proved herself to be a successful businesswoman. She transformed Elvis Presley Enterprises into a profitable venture, opening Graceland to the public in 1982. By the late 1980s, the company had expanded its ventures to include shopping centers and the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum.

Although she never remarried, Priscilla began living with her boyfriend, Italian screenwriter Marco Garibaldi, in 1984. The couple had a son, Navarone Garibaldi Garcia, in 1987. Ultimately, the relationship didn’t last, and Presley and Garibaldi split in 2006.

Presley began studying acting during her marriage to Elvis, and after a few TV appearances, she joined the cast of the hugely popular night-time soap opera 'Dallas' in 1983. The following year, she won a Soap Opera Digest Award for her role as "Jenna Wade Krebbs". Presley left the show after five seasons, leaving behind a legacy of her compelling portrayal.

In 1985, Priscilla Presley released a memoir, 'Elvis and Me', which detailed her courtship and marriage to Elvis, offering an intimate look into their life together.

Presley has three living grandchildren, all born to her daughter Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie and her first husband, Danny Keough, welcomed daughter Riley Keough in 1989. Then, in 2008, Lisa Marie had twin daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood with her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood. Today, Riley has built a successful acting career, earning a 2023 Emmy nomination for her starring role in the Amazon Prime series 'Daisy Jones & the Six'.

Presley’s grandson, Benjamin Keough, was born in 1992 to Lisa Marie and Danny. Tragically, he died by suicide in July 2020 at the age of 27. “These are some of the darkest days of my family’s life,” Presley posted on social media shortly after his death. “The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. Each day I wake up I pray it will get better.”

Priscilla Presley produced a TV movie based on her memoir in 1988. In the late 1990s, she started selling fragrances and later expanded into clothing and skincare. Then, in 2002, she announced plans to co-produce a musical about her relationship with Elvis.