Priscilla Presley Said Elvis Didn’t Allow Her to See a Doctor While Pregnant 

Elvis Presley met his future wife, Priscilla, when she was only 14 years old. The couple eventually married in 1967 and welcomed their first and only child, Lisa Marie Presley, in 1968. Elvis held control over the relationship, making demands over Priscilla’s actions, appearance, and relationships. He wouldn’t even let her see a doctor when she was pregnant. 

Priscilla Presley said Elvis was controlling over her pregnancy

Not long after the couple married, Priscilla discovered she was pregnant. She immediately became concerned about the way pregnancy would affect her appearance, as her husband often complained about it.

“Elvis was always talking about women who let themselves go when they were expecting, who used it as an excuse to gain weight,” she told The Guardian in 2005. “So I actually lost eight pounds when I was carrying! I ate only eggs and apples, I never drank milk.”

A doctor might have advised her to eat a wider variety of foods for nutrients, but Elvis wouldn’t let her see one. He was suspicious of strangers.

“No, I wasn’t allowed to see a doctor,” she said. “Elvis didn’t like to have new people around. We were in a cocoon at Graceland.”

Elvis was controlling of Priscilla Presley throughout their relationship

Priscilla’s concern about her physical appearance during pregnancy is not surprising given the way Elvis spoke to her about her looks. 

“Yes, he was quite critical,” she explained. “What you’re seeing is the product of constant criticism.”

Once, while she was still a high school student, Elvis slapped her on the forehead because she furrowed her brow. He was afraid she would develop wrinkles if she was too expressive.

“If I looked up, it had to be with my eyes only, so the skin would stay smooth,” she said. “See, I’m so well trained that I can’t do it now even if I want to!”

The couple divorced in 1973

While she loved Elvis, Priscilla began to feel trapped in the marriage. 

“He was still very lovey with me, but only upstairs, when the guys weren’t around to impress,” she said. “He was a Southern boy, a man’s man, and girls were kept out of sight. The other wives and I were only allowed to leave Memphis and go to Vegas at certain times — first nights or last nights. That left Elvis and his buddies free to be bad boys with the showgirls in between! Not that I was any angel. Eventually I took on someone.”

She described her affair as her “way out” of the marriage. They divorced in 1973 because she didn’t feel she could be herself around him. Elvis was too demanding and she had molded every aspect of her life to fit him.

“I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him,” she said on the show Loose Women. “He was the love of my life, but I had to find out about the world.”