Priscilla Presley Claims Financial Abuse In Lawsuit Against Business Associates

Priscilla Presley, 79, has recently come forward with allegations of financial abuse, claiming that she was defrauded of $1 million by several individuals, including Brigitte Kruse, the founder of Kruse GWS Auctions. The lawsuit, filed by Priscilla’s lawyer Marty Singer on July 18, names Kruse, Kevin Fialko, Vahe Sislyan, Lynn Walker Wright, and Priscilla Presley Partners as defendants.

Priscilla’s legal battle began when she met Kruse through mutual connections to discuss selling Elvis memorabilia. According to the lawsuit, Kruse quickly gained Priscilla’s trust and immersed herself in every aspect of her life by the end of 2021. The filing claims that Kruse and her associates isolated Priscilla from her trusted advisors, convincing her that they were deceitful or incompetent. They allegedly manipulated her into giving them control over her finances, including power of attorney and access to her bank accounts.

Priscilla alleges that Kruse and her new advisors falsely told her she was financially unstable and would not survive without their exploitation of her name, image, and likeness. Following their advice, Priscilla claims she created companies where her associates received 80% of her income, leaving her with minority shares. She also alleges that funds from the Sofia Coppola-directed biopic “Priscilla” were misappropriated.

One particularly troubling incident in the lawsuit describes how Priscilla was supposed to receive ownership interest in a cosmetics company. Instead, her business partners settled for a $300,000 upfront payment, which was deposited into accounts they controlled. Additionally, Priscilla claims that $40,000 was withdrawn from her son Navarone Garcia’s bank account without legitimate reason or notification.

Priscilla is seeking to rescind the license and operating agreements of the “sham companies,” block the defendants from accessing her financial accounts, and hold them accountable for their actions. The lawsuit states, “They manipulated and defrauded an older woman during extremely vulnerable moments in her life (including the death of her daughter) in an effort to enrich themselves.”

Kruse’s legal team responded to the allegations, stating, “We cannot respond because counsel has not been served with a copy of the lawsuit. We have alerted Ms. Presley’s attorneys that we do not have a copy of this filing but they have not responded.”

The legal battle between Priscilla and Kruse escalated in September 2023, when Kruse sued Priscilla for an alleged breach of contract after forming Priscilla Presley Partners. According to TMZ, Priscilla abruptly cut off all communication with Kruse around August 2023.

Back in September 2021, Priscilla spoke to PEOPLE about her collaboration with Kruse GWS Auctions, which involved several pieces of Elvis memorabilia. At the time, Priscilla expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, “I thought, ‘Why not be a part of it?’ I used to have a different opinion about these estate sales, but then as I got older, I realized that you have to pass these things down to someone who’ll really appreciate them.”

Kruse also shared her admiration for Priscilla, stating, “She’s just such a wealth of experience and knowledge. You don’t study and learn about Elvis without learning about Priscilla as well. Their names are synonymous.”