Priscilla Presley spoke about her relationship with Elvis Presley at a press conference for Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla” at the Venice Film Festival. She claimed that she had not had sex with Elvis when she met him at the age of 14. The singer was ten years older than her.
The couple first met in Germany in 1959 and married seven years later, when Priscilla was 21. Despite the big age difference, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is said to have never taken advantage of her, as she confirmed in the press conference. She further emphasized that their relationship was built on her willingness to listen to him.
“It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis could be so interested in me,” shared Priscilla Presley. “And I really think it was because I’m more of a listener. In Germany, Elvis poured out his heart to me – about his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother, which he never got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and comfort him. That was our connection.”
Presley continued, “Even though I was 14, I was a little older in life — not in numbers. Therein lay the attraction. People think, ‘Oh, it was about sex’. No, that wasn’t it. I didn’t have sex with him. He was very sweet, very gentle, very loving, but he respected the fact that I was only 14 years old. We were more aligned mentally and that was our relationship.”
“Something else he loved is the fact that I never gave up on him in any way. So we built a relationship and that relationship lasted until I left him. And it wasn’t because I didn’t love him — he was the love of my life. It was the lifestyle that was so difficult for me.”
Priscilla Presley left Elvis in 1972. They divorced the following year. The singer passed away in 1977.