Lisa Marie Presley’s posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, alleges childhood abuse by her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Michael Edwards. This happened after her father, Elvis Presley’s death in 1977 when Lisa Marie moved to LA to live with Priscilla Presley.
The late star claims that Michael Edwards would enter her room at night and inappropriately touch her. Specifically, she recounts an incident where he ran his finger up her leg, and placed his hands under her chest and between her legs, saying he would teach her what would happen when she got older.
What happened between Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley?
When Lisa Marie told her mother about the alleged incident, she wrote her Priscilla flew into the house, slammed the door, and called her into her room. Priscilla arranged a meeting with Edwards, where he apologized, claiming his actions were acceptable in Europe, saying, “That’s how they teach kids.”
However, Lisa Marie shared that Edwards continued the abuse, touching and spanking her, which left bruises. After she showed Priscilla the bruises, Lisa Marie claimed, her mother rather asked what she did to cause the bruises. When Priscilla finally confronted Edwards, he made excuses, either blaming alcohol or claiming Lisa Marie was flirting.
Michael Edwards’ confession
Michael Edwards’ memoir, Priscilla, Elvis, and Me, in 1988, revealed that he had a troubling attraction to Lisa Marie Presley, who was then a minor. He became aroused during an innocent pool encounter and admitted feeling disturbed. Despite this, he denied abusing Lisa Marie in his memoir.
The late star condemned Edwards as “sick” in a 2003 interview, accusing him of drunken, inappropriate behavior in her room. She accused him of lusting after her developing body making unwanted advances, entering her room drunk, and behaving inappropriately.
In her book, From Here to the Great Unknown, completed by her daughter, Riley Keough after her death, Lisa Marie shares another painful experience of keeping her son Benjamin’s body on dry ice at home for two months after his 2020 suicide because she struggled to cope with her grief.