Priscilla Presley faces explosive allegations in a $50 million lawsuit filed by former business partners Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko, who accuse Elvis Presley’s 80-year-old ex-wife of fraud, breach of contract, and exploiting her daughter Lisa Marie Presley’s death to gain control of the family estate.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Priscilla hastened Lisa Marie’s death in January 2023 by withdrawing life support against her daughter’s wishes. According to court documents, Lisa Marie had specified in her 2010 Advanced Health Care Directive that she wanted her life “to be prolonged as long as possible within the limits of generally accepted health care standards.”
Kruse, an Elvis memorabilia auctioneer, and Fialko, a collector, claim Priscilla ignored these directives when Lisa Marie suffered cardiac arrest at age 54. The lawsuit alleges Priscilla pulled the plug within hours of Lisa Marie’s hospital admission and before granddaughter Riley Keough could arrive at West Hills Hospital.
The complaint suggests financial motives behind Priscilla’s actions, stating she knew Lisa Marie was preparing to remove her as sole trustee of her irrevocable life insurance trust. According to the filing, Priscilla ultimately wanted to control the Promenade Trust and Graceland. The lawsuit claims that at her house the week following Lisa Marie’s death, Priscilla declared she was “the queen” and “in charge of Graceland.”
Lisa Marie died from small bowel obstruction caused by complications from previous weight-loss surgery. The medical examiner found no evidence of foul play, ruling the death natural. However, the lawsuit alleges Priscilla’s relationship with her daughter was severely strained, with Lisa Marie threatening to sue her mother over trust disputes.
The business partners claim they worked to reconcile the family before Lisa Marie’s death, arranging for mother and daughter to appear together at the Golden Globes ceremony on January 10, 2023, supporting the film “Elvis.” The lawsuit states Lisa Marie was noticeably ill and complained about her health, but Priscilla allegedly ignored warning signs.
Kruse and Fialko allege they invested millions of dollars and thousands of hours revitalizing Priscilla’s brand and public image, only to be cut out after her financial situation stabilized in November 2023. They claim Priscilla falsely represented ownership of her name, image and likeness rights, despite allegedly selling those rights for $6.5 million in 2005.
The lawsuit accuses Priscilla of later forgetting about the 2005 deal while securing millions in investments and benefiting from brand development work provided by the plaintiffs. Following Lisa Marie’s death, the complaint alleges Priscilla and associate Keya Morgan retaliated with false elder abuse accusations to damage Kruse and Fialko’s reputations.
Priscilla’s attorney Marty Singer vehemently denied the allegations in a statement, calling the lawsuit “one of the most shameful, ridiculous, salacious, and meritless” he has seen in his practice. Singer characterized the filing as a vicious attempt to tarnish an 80-year-old woman’s reputation in retaliation for her own lawsuit against the defendants.
The legal dispute stems from Priscilla’s July 2024 elder abuse lawsuit against Kruse, Fialko and others, claiming they swindled her out of at least $1 million and took advantage of her trust and age. That complaint alleged the defendants isolated her from trusted advisors and fraudulently induced her to sign contracts giving them 80 percent of her income.
Singer stated that granddaughter Riley Keough stands behind her grandmother completely and is equally disgusted with what he termed Kruse’s vicious attempt to ruin Priscilla’s life. The attorney emphasized that accusing a grieving mother of contributing to her daughter’s death constitutes malicious character assassination rather than legitimate legal advocacy.
Jordan Matthews, representing Kruse and Fialko, countered that video recordings and communications confirm no evidence of undue influence or elder abuse occurred, only legitimate business partnerships. Matthews indicated his clients invested significantly in rebuilding Priscilla’s brand before being betrayed once financial issues were resolved.
The lawsuit details a complex web of trust disputes following Lisa Marie’s death. Two weeks after her passing, Priscilla challenged a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s Promenade Trust that removed her as trustee and designated Riley Keough and deceased son Benjamin Keough as co-trustees. The matter was settled five months later, with Priscilla receiving $2.4 million and other compensation.
The case represents the latest chapter in ongoing legal battles surrounding the Presley estate’s control and financial management. Elvis died in 1977, leaving behind a complex legacy that has generated decades of litigation among family members and business associates over control of his name, image and properties including the iconic Graceland mansion.
