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Recently, a movie titled Priscilla premiered at a film festival. It focuses on Priscilla Presley’s life with Elvis Presley, and she found it difficult to watch. Many people have questioned the controversial nature of her and Elvis’s relationship. During the press conference, she addressed the affair and explained her feelings regarding it.

Priscilla Presley’s affair with Elvis Presley was controversial

A black and white picture of Priscilla and Elvis Presley on their wedding day. She wears a dress and veil and he wears a tuxedo. They hold hands and laugh.
Priscilla and Elvis Presley | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

At the height of his career, most people criticized Elvis for the way he moved his hips. Over the years, however, controversy grew over his relationship with Priscilla. Many people became concerned due to how old they were. According to TheThings, the two met when Elvis was 24 and Priscilla was 14.

As a result, people see their relationship as scandalous due to their respective ages. Such a controversy could end a celebrity’s career. However, the world did not know Elvis and Priscilla were dating then. Elvis was secretive about his romantic life, so his involvement with a 14-year-old went under the radar.

Eventually, the media discovered the two got romantically involved. Elvis was unconcerned since he and Priscilla were not doing anything sexual. His manager, on the other hand, worried about a controversy.

The controversy back then would have been over Elvis and Priscilla living together while unmarried. The pair got pressured to marry, which made the relationship passable for everyone. Of course, criticisms later would merge over the fact that Priscilla was a child.

What Priscilla Presley had to say

Priscilla depicts a teen Priscilla meeting Elvis and becoming a part of his life. The biopic shows the affair through her eyes, and people have asked Priscilla questions. According to People, she addressed the topic at the Venice Film Festival.

“People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t,” Priscilla stated. “I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old. We were more in line in thought, and that was our relationship.”

Priscilla also explained that Elvis felt comfortable expressing his feelings. He would share what he hoped for, his fears, and his grief over losing his mother. She listened to what the late singer had to say, which helped them bond.

Not only could Elvis be vulnerable, but he also could share secrets with Priscilla. She naturally never revealed them. It is why the relationship stayed private at first. Priscilla said, “I didn’t know why he put so much trust in me, but he did.”

Priscilla Presley’s relationship with Elvis Presley

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Priscilla met Elvis at a party in 1959, and the two quickly became interested in each other. A few years later, she moved to Memphis to live with him. Her parents only allowed it if she and Elvis promised to marry eventually. The couple kept that promise and tied the knot on May 1, 1967.

The wedding happened in Las Vegas, and it was a low-key event. Around 14 guests took a plane there to attend the ceremony at a hotel. Immediately afterward, Priscilla and Elvis had a press conference before heading to the reception, where more guests joined them.

Soon after they married, they had their only child, Lisa Marie Presley. Things seemed happy in the beginning. However, Priscilla later felt Elvis had more control over her than she did. So, she decided that they should separate.

The couple officially got divorced on October 9, 1973. Priscilla and Elvis worked closely through the divorce and raising their daughter. She still thought fondly of him years later.