Explosive Lawsuit Claims Priscilla Presley Pulled Lisa Marie’s Life Support to Seize Trust

Quinn Parker here, caffeinated and cutting to the chase: the new court filing accusing Priscilla Presley of hastening her daughter Lisa Marie’s death is wild, specific, and already drawing fire from lawyers on both sides.

Okay, so listen — I’ve had coffee and I have thoughts. Two former business partners of Priscilla Presley, Brigitte Kruse and Kevin Fialko, have filed a lawsuit that levels an astonishing allegation: they claim the 80-year-old Priscilla effectively “pulled the plug” on her daughter Lisa Marie Presley within hours of the singer being admitted to a California hospital in January 2023. Lisa Marie, 54, died after suffering cardiac arrest at home, and the LA County medical examiner later listed the manner of death as natural, noting bowel strangulation from adhesions related to prior bariatric surgery as the immediate cause. That official autopsy found no signs of foul play.

But the suit filed by Kruse and Fialko is not about medical nuance; it’s about motive and money. They argue Priscilla stood to gain control of Lisa Marie’s irrevocable life insurance trust, the Promenade Trust, and ultimately influence over Graceland, the Presley estate’s crown jewel. According to the filing, Lisa Marie had been preparing legal moves to remove Priscilla as sole trustee, and the plaintiffs say Priscilla “knew that Lisa’s death neutralized the threat” to her control. They even quote an alleged outburst at Priscilla’s house the following week: “I’m the queen. I’m in charge of Graceland.”

Their claims push into contract and fraud territory: Kruse and Fialko are suing Priscilla for breach of contract and fraud and seeking at least $50 million. They portray themselves as peacemakers trying to keep the family from further imploding amid what they describe as a tumultuous relationship between mother and daughter, including threats from Lisa Marie to sue Priscilla over the trust dispute.

Priscilla’s camp responded with a fierce denial. Prominent attorney Marty Singer called the filing “one of the most shameful, ridiculous, salacious, and meritless” he’s seen, labeling the accusations “malicious character assassination” against an elderly grieving mother and saying the case will be dismissed. The rebuttal points to Priscilla’s own suit last summer accusing Kruse and others of financial abuse and theft of about $1 million, suggesting mutual litigation and bitter recrimination between the parties.

To add context, the Presley estate has a complicated recent history. After Elvis died, Priscilla had legal limitations tied to using the Presley surname and other contractual knots from the 1973 divorce. Lisa Marie inherited her share of Elvis’s assets in 1993, when the estate was valued at roughly $100 million. Trust documents were amended over time; a 2016 amendment removed Priscilla as trustee and instead named Lisa Marie’s children, Riley Keough and the late Benjamin Keough, as co-trustees. Following Lisa Marie’s death, Riley engaged in legal battles with Priscilla and eventually obtained sole ownership of the estate after a lengthy dispute.

The plaintiffs’ lawsuit also alleges Priscilla violated Lisa Marie’s wishes regarding end-of-life care, claiming Lisa Marie wanted life prolonged “as long as possible within the limits of generally accepted health care standards.” The medical examiner’s findings, however, do not support foul play, which creates a dramatic clash between legal accusation and official autopsy conclusions.

This case is now a clash of lawsuits: Priscilla’s earlier claim of financial abuse, Kruse and Fialko’s explosive counterclaims accusing Priscilla of hastening her daughter’s death for control, and the estate fight that already involved public court filings and family heartbreak. Expect lawyers to parse trust language, medical records to be scrutinized, and depositions to dribble out dramatic details. And yes, there will be more statements, more denials, and more courtroom sparks to come.

Stay tuned; whether the judge tosses this or it becomes a months-long weaponized feud in court, this saga is far from over. I need another espresso, but first — whew! That was a LOT to process.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner report (as reported), statements from Marty Singer (legal representative)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed