People have been talking about Priscilla Presley a lot lately, and not for happy reasons. The actress and business mogul recently suffered an unimaginable loss: her and Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie Presley, passed away. The world has united to pay its respects and support Priscilla during this difficult moment, and while nothing can take the pain away, she has taken comfort in the love she's receiving.
Much like her mother, Lisa Marie's accomplishments were somewhat outshone by her famous father. However, these two women's amazing talents and careers should not be overlooked. Priscilla, in particular, worked really hard to make it on her own and not be defined by what was undoubtedly a great love but not always a very healthy relationship.
Priscilla's Life With Elvis Wasn't Easy
Priscilla Beaulieu was 14 and living in Germany when she met Elvis Presley at a party.
Elvis was on tour at the time, and Priscilla was way too young, so the two of them didn't start their relationship until much later, although it's still concerning that she was a teenager when he became interested in her.
Elvis proposed to Priscilla when she was 21. The wedding took place in Las Vegas in 1967, and their only daughter, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months after.
While there was obviously a lot of love between them, things quickly went downhill for the Presleys. Elvis was touring too much, leaving Priscilla and Lisa Marie alone for long periods of time. Because of the distance, both of them apparently began having affairs; some were just flings, and some were meaningful relationships.
In 1973, it became impossible for them to continue their marriage, and despite the bitterness of everything that had happened, they parted on relatively good terms. After the divorce, it is said that their relationship improved to the point that it became a nice friendship.
Priscilla Received Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars In The Divorce Settlement
It is widely known that, in her divorce from Elvis, Priscilla received quite a lot of money. But fairly recently it came to light that she was persuaded to take that much money because Elvis was in a position to offer it and wanted to provide for their daughter.
Priscilla hadn't asked for much and had even signed a settlement that left her only with a 1971 Mercedes Benz, a 1969 Cadillac El Dorado, a 1971 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, $100,000 in cash, and half the income from the sale of their houses in California.
Later, her lawyers advised her to ask for more money, and she ended up getting $750,000.
Priscilla Presley Became A Businesswoman
By the time Priscilla and Elvis divorced, she was not even 30, and she was determined not to live in her ex-husband's shadow.
She had always wanted to make it on her own, and had she not fallen in love with an extremely rich celebrity, she would have started much sooner.
Still, she managed to become incredibly successful in more than one way. Immediately after her divorce, she went on to start her first business: a boutique she opened with her friend, stylist Olivia Bis, "Bis & Beau."
"After the separation, I had to make up my mind about what I wanted to do, and since I had worked with Olivia for such a long time on my own clothes, I decided to try it professionally," Priscilla said at the time.
Olivia was her stylist since she was with Elvis and she dressed actresses like Suzanne Pleshette, Barbara Parkins, and Zsa Zsa Gabor.
"We both do the designing for the shop and have people who sew for us," she continued. "The dresses are priced from $65 up, and they are all original and handmade."
Her business ventures didn't end there, though. A few years after Elvis' death, she became the executor of his estate.
At the time, Elvis' mansion, Graceland, was becoming impossible to maintain financially, but rather than sell it, she remodeled it and turned it into a museum that is now one of the top tourist attractions of the country. She got back the money she invested almost immediately.
Because of this success, she was appointed president of Elvis Presley Enterprises, and the corporation flourished under her guidance.
She also launched her own fragrance, produced several albums and films, and was elected to the board of directors at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Priscilla Also Dabbled In Hollywood Projects
Because of an outdated notion that women should stay home, Priscilla was not able to pursue her artistic passions while married to Elvis.
At the time their relationship was still going strong, she got a modeling job, which Elvis made her give up immediately.
"When I told Elvis about my job, he said, 'You’re gonna have to give it up,'" she shared in her memoir. "'But I’m enjoying it,’ I said. "It’s either me or a career, Baby. Because when I call you, I need you to be there.' I quit the modeling job the next day, which left me with very little to do."
After they separated, however, she showed the world her amazing talents. She went into acting after she'd already had several successful business endeavors, and it was just as great as everything else she did.
Her TV debut was as co-host of Those Amazing Animals in 1980, and in 1982 she appeared in the movie Love is Forever, starring alongside Michael Landon. In 1988, she starred opposite Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Her performance was praised, and she stayed for the next movies of the franchise.
Those are only some of Priscilla Presley's many accomplishments, and while the King will always be an important part of her life, her amazing career has nothing to do with Elvis.
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