Following rumors trailing Elvis Presley’s career that he was a child groomer, Priscilla Presley sets the record straight with the release of Sofia Coppola’s latest film, Priscilla, based on her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me.
During a press appearance at the Venice Film Festival before the movie’s premiere, the 78-year-old shared that their relationship was devoid of any intimate or romantic involvement when she first crossed paths with her late ex-husband at 14.
Priscilla Presley explains the relationship between her and Elvis Presley
While answering questions about her relationship with the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll during the event, Priscilla addressed the 10-year age gap between her and Elvis. She revealed that their relationship was not intimate at the beginning, even though they were quite close, and went on to become a couple later in 1967.
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“People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t. 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 mind and thought and that was our relationship.”
Priscilla Presley says she was a source of comfort to Elvis Presley
She asserted that their connection was primarily rooted in her role as a support system and a source of solace for the musician during his time in Germany, where they met. The 78-year-old disclosed that Elvis was quite vulnerable at the time due to the loss of his mom, and she was there to comfort him.
“It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why, and I really do think because I was more of a listener. Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany. His fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother, which he never, ever got over,” Priscilla confessed. “I was the person who really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection. Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life, not in numbers, and that was the attraction.”