OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
Priscilla Presley, the former wife of the legendary Elvis Presley, recently shared her thoughts on Sofia Coppola’s 2023 film Priscilla, based on her 1985 memoir Elvis and Me. During a panel at MegaCon Orlando on February 7, 2025, the 79-year-old icon opened up about her experience watching her marriage to Elvis depicted on the big screen. While Priscilla praised the film for its overall accuracy, there was one particular aspect of the story that she felt didn’t reflect her reality – the ending.
Priscilla described the experience of watching her life play out on film as “awkward,” noting that it’s a strange feeling to see such personal moments portrayed by actors. She mentioned that she had never met Sofia Coppola before the director reached out to her, but she was honored by the opportunity to tell her story. “Sofia Coppola called me — and she actually called me and I had never really met her — and said to me that she wanted to do a film about Elvis and I,” Priscilla recalled. “Just to warn me that she was going to do it, but not to worry. I mean, I wouldn’t anyway. I love her work.”
Despite feeling honored by Coppola’s approach, Priscilla made it clear that there was one thing she wasn’t happy with in the film: the ending. While the movie depicted a strained and emotional ending to her relationship with Elvis, Priscilla insists that their final years together were marked by love and friendship. “The only thing was the ending. I wasn’t really happy about the ending,” Priscilla shared. “It didn’t end that way, and we ended — Elvis and I ended very lovingly.”
The couple, who divorced in 1973 after six years of marriage, remained close friends until Elvis’s untimely death in 1977. Priscilla explained that despite the divorce, their relationship continued in a more platonic, yet affectionate, manner. Elvis would often drop by her house unannounced, even in the middle of the night, to visit and catch up. Priscilla fondly recalled these late-night visits, saying, “We still kept our relationship. We did. He would drop by my home unannounced, and I was going with someone by the way, and he would come unannounced.”
For Priscilla, these moments of connection with Elvis were a reminder of the deep bond they shared, which wasn’t captured in the film’s portrayal of their final years. She added, “Thank God it was two o’clock in the morning, and I knew who it was, so I quickly tried to get to the door before he rang the doorbell, and of course, he came in, we went in the kitchen, we talked for a couple of hours.”
Throughout the panel, Priscilla also touched on the difficulties she faced during their marriage, especially as Elvis’s fame and lifestyle often kept him away from home. “He was gone a lot … and I would hear stories,” she said, reflecting on the challenges of being married to one of the most famous men in the world. One particular experience that stayed with her involved finding intimate letters from other women at their Palm Springs home. After reading explicit letters thanking Elvis for “the best night,” Priscilla realized that their relationship had begun to fall apart. “I decided, gosh, he’s living another life and I just couldn’t take it,” she confessed.
Despite her feelings of hurt and betrayal, Priscilla emphasized that she had no regrets about her relationship with Elvis. “He was famous, he was loving, he was a beautiful, beautiful man,” she said. But ultimately, she knew that she couldn’t continue in a marriage that had become increasingly difficult for her to navigate. “I just couldn’t take it. Every time he’d go to Vegas or even Palm Springs, it was… it was difficult. It just was not a good life for me.”
While Priscilla is a heartfelt and visually stunning film, it is clear that Priscilla Presley’s reflections offer a more nuanced view of her relationship with Elvis. Their love may have faced many challenges, but the closeness they maintained even after their divorce is a testament to the enduring bond they shared. Priscilla’s candid remarks highlight that sometimes, real life doesn’t always fit neatly into a scripted ending.