THE $50 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST PRISCILLA PRESLEY: A FAMILY LEGACY ENTANGLED IN COURTROOM BATTLES

Filed in Los Angeles in August 2025, the case accuses Priscilla Presley of fraud and concealment over name and likeness rights, while making shocking claims surrounding the death of her daughter Lisa Marie. Priscilla and granddaughter Riley Keough have issued a joint statement calling the allegations “malicious and deeply hurtful.”

1. Who Filed the Lawsuit and When?

On August 11, 2025, former business associates Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko filed a civil lawsuit against Priscilla Presley in the Los Angeles Superior Court, demanding more than $50 million in damages. The plaintiffs accuse Presley of fraud, breach of contract, and misrepresentation, claiming she concealed the fact that her name and likeness had been sold to Elvis Presley Enterprises as part of a 2005 licensing agreement.

According to the filing, Kruse and Fialko assert that they spent years helping Priscilla “rebuild her brand” without knowing her rights had already been transferred two decades earlier.

2. The Core Allegations

The lawsuit lays out several key claims:

• Name and Image Rights (NIL): The plaintiffs argue that Priscilla misled them into believing she controlled her own licensing rights, when in fact, she had already signed them away in 2005.

• Estate Disputes After Lisa Marie’s Death: The complaint alleges that following Lisa Marie Presley’s death in January 2023, Priscilla sought to expand her influence in matters related to Elvis’s estate, including Graceland, while distancing herself from prior business arrangements.

• Claims Regarding Lisa Marie’s Final Days: Perhaps the most shocking part of the lawsuit is the assertion that Priscilla ignored her daughter’s medical distress or even played a role in decisions surrounding life support. Priscilla has categorically denied these accusations, and medical examiners have ruled Lisa Marie’s cause of death as a small bowel obstruction related to prior weight-loss surgery—not foul play.

3. Priscilla Presley’s Response

Priscilla’s attorney, the well-known Hollywood lawyer Marty Singer, dismissed the lawsuit as “false, absurd, and retaliatory.” He stressed that this filing came only after Priscilla herself sued the plaintiffs earlier for financial exploitation of an elder and for allegedly manipulating her trust and finances.

In early September 2025, Priscilla and her granddaughter Riley Keough—now the official heir and steward of Graceland—issued a rare joint statement. They described the allegations as “cruel and profoundly damaging”, affirming their solidarity in protecting both Elvis’s and Lisa Marie’s legacies.

4. Legal Chaos Around Graceland

The Presley estate has faced relentless legal storms in recent years. In 2024, a company named Naussany Investments attempted to claim that Lisa Marie had taken out a $3.8 million loan using Graceland as collateral. They even pushed for a foreclosure sale. Riley Keough fought back, and the courts halted the process.

In February 2025, a Missouri woman pleaded guilty to mail fraud for orchestrating the scheme, proving the “loan documents” were forged. While this case is separate from the Kruse–Fialko lawsuit, it highlights how the Presley family legacy has been a constant target of disputes and scams.

5. What Is Established and What Remains Alleged?

• Established Facts:

  • The lawsuit has been officially filed in Los Angeles.

  • Damages of more than $50 million are being sought.

  • Priscilla Presley has formally denied the allegations.

  • The cause of death of Lisa Marie Presley is confirmed as a small bowel obstruction, unrelated to criminal activity.

  • Priscilla and Riley have issued a joint statement rejecting the claims.

• Still Only Allegations:

  • Any suggestion that Priscilla directly influenced or neglected her daughter’s medical care remains unproven, has not been validated in court, and has been strongly rejected by her legal team.

6. A Condensed Timeline

• 2005: Priscilla signs an agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises involving her name and likeness.

• January 2023: Lisa Marie Presley dies; estate disputes surface. Riley Keough becomes the primary heir.

• May–February 2025: A fraudulent foreclosure attempt on Graceland is exposed; perpetrator pleads guilty.

• August 11, 2025: Kruse and Fialko file their lawsuit against Priscilla Presley.

• September 2025: Joint statement from Priscilla and Riley calls the lawsuit “hurtful and false.”

7. What Happens Next?

As of mid-September 2025, the case is still pending. No court has ruled on the validity of the allegations, and hearings are expected in the months ahead. For now, the Presley legacy remains in the headlines, caught between nostalgia, family grief, and high-stakes legal warfare.