Elvis Presley Cousin Warns: 'Disgusting' Priscilla Memoir Is 'A Betrayal Of The Highest Form'

The long-running, painful drama over the legacy of Elvis Presley has just exploded into open family warfare. The catalyst? Priscilla Presley's new memoir, Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis. Rather than being met with sentimentality, the book has triggered a fierce backlash from within the Presley clan, with Elvis's first cousin, Donna Presley, launching a scathing, emotional public rebuke.

Donna Presley has accused Priscilla of outright rewriting history and, far worse, of deliberately tarnishing the legacies of both Elvis and the late, beloved Lisa Marie Presley.

In a powerful, seven-minute video posted to her official YouTube channel, Donna delivered a raw, emotional critique, branding the book 'disgusting' and issuing a direct warning to readers that it dangerously misleads them about the truth of Elvis's final, troubled years.

Her public denunciation has instantly intensified the deep, long-standing tensions over who truly holds the authority to control the narrative surrounding the Presley legacy.

The Unprecedented Backlash: Priscilla Presley Accused Of 'Betrayal'

Donna Presley, the daughter of Elvis's late aunt Nashval Presley Pritchett, expressed profound anger over what she termed Priscilla Presley's attempt to cast herself in an overly favourable light while dismissing the verified experiences of those who were consistently present at Graceland.

Her motivation for going public was clear and emphatic, as she stated in the video, quoting coverage by Yahoo Entertainment: 'The time for silence is over'. Donna's core assertion is that Priscilla cannot speak with any authority about Elvis's final years, including the period leading up to his death in 1977, because she simply 'wasn't there'.

The attack was not merely professional; it was intensely personal, focusing on the wounds that still affect the family. Donna's sharpest criticism focused on the memoir's reported portrayal of Elvis as a 'raging drug addict' and the alleged effort within the book to undermine Lisa Marie's recollections of childhood trauma and events at Graceland.

Donna categorised the book as 'a pack of disgusting falsehoods' and explicitly accused Priscilla of severely damaging the family's trust for personal gain. This public anger intensified due to the timing of the memoir, which was released less than two years after Lisa Marie Presley's tragic death in January 2023.

Donna suggested Priscilla's actions were opportunistic and deeply hurtful, telling NewsBreak that the move amounted to 'a betrayal of the highest form'.

The Presley family has a long history of bitter internal disputes, particularly concerning the commercial control of Elvis's multi-million-dollar estate and decisions involving the Graceland complex.

Donna's decision to break ranks and speak publicly signals a significant, high-stakes departure from the family's typically private approach to conflict, especially when it involves the vulnerable memory and reputation of the late Lisa Marie.

The Battle For Legacy: Priscilla Presley Versus The Truth Of Graceland

Priscilla Presley's memoir, Softly, As I Leave You, was heavily marketed as an intimate, definitive look at her life after Elvis died in 1977. However, critics argue that the book veers sharply into revisionist territory, painting a version of events that fundamentally contradicts accounts from other family members and key Graceland insiders.

The book reportedly downplays her acknowledged estrangement from Elvis in his final years and questions Lisa Marie's documented recollections of her difficult childhood and the atmosphere surrounding her father's decline. These claims have been met with fierce resistance from those who were genuinely close to the singer during his final, isolating days.

Donna Presley's testimony is viewed by many fans as crucial, as she was a constant presence at Graceland during that time. Her public stance represents the core family unit actively fighting against a narrative they feel is fabricated for the benefit of Priscilla Presley's public image and commercial interests.

The controversy has sparked intense debate across social media, with many Elvis fans voicing strong support for Donna Presley's emotionally charged stance. Some fans have accused Priscilla of coldly capitalising on Elvis's name and the recent death of her daughter, while others maintain that she still holds a right to tell her own version of the story.

Ultimately, the fallout has completely overshadowed the memoir's release, reigniting the long-running, painful question of who holds the moral authority to shape Elvis Presley's legacy—those who were genuinely closest to him in his final years, or those who remain most visible and eager to control the public narrative.