Why Priscilla Presley Cut Off Elvis Presley’s Family, According to His Cousin
After Elvis Presley died in 1977, Priscilla Presley seemed to distance herself from his extended family, maintaining contact only with his father, Vernon Presley. Now, a new explanation may finally clarify why. Elvis’s cousin, Danny Smith, recently addressed the topic on his Memphis Mafia Kid YouTube channel, responding to a fan’s question about Priscilla’s apparent estrangement. His candid and unexpected response offers fresh insight into what appears to be a long-standing rift with the Presley family.
The real reason Priscilla Presley stepped back from a relationship with Elvis Presley’s family after his death
Danny Smith believes that after Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorced in 1973, the dynamic between Priscilla and Elvis’s extended family shifted significantly. According to Smith, Priscilla’s insecurities over Elvis’s close relationships with certain family members may have fueled the divide, especially after his death.
Smith claimed that Priscilla was jealous of the strong bond between Elvis and his first cousin, Billy Smith, Danny’s father. “It was plainly obvious she didn’t want to be around us,” Smith explained in a new video upload. “She didn’t want Lisa to be around us. We feel what we feel and we know what we know.”
Still, he acknowledged that some distance may have been inevitable, noting, “Most people, after a divorce, don’t stay around their ex’s family.” His statement suggested this type of separation wasn’t entirely unusual.
Priscilla Presley lived at Graceland from May 1963 to early 1967. She moved into the Memphis estate at just 17 years old after Elvis persuaded her parents to allow her to relocate from West Germany, where she and Presley met during his Army service.
Although they didn’t marry until 1967—when Priscilla was 21 and Elvis was 32—she spent much of her late teenage years living at Graceland under his care. After their wedding, the couple returned to Graceland but also spent time living in Holmby Hills, California, splitting their time between the two homes.
Why didn’t Lisa Marie Presley move back to Graceland after Elvis’ death?
After Elvis Presley died in 1977, Lisa Marie Presley moved to California to live with her mother, Priscilla Presley. In her book From Here to the Great Unknown, Lisa opened up about how her connection to the Presley family shifted in the years that followed.
She revealed that her world “totally changed” after her father’s passing. Beyond her grandparents, Lisa maintained occasional contact with Patsy Presley and a few members of the Memphis Mafia, including Jerry Schilling. As she put it, the “rest kind of faded away.”
Danny Smith echoed that sentiment, agreeing that life was never the same for Lisa Marie after 1977. He explained that, following Elvis’s death, Graceland was no longer home for his cousin, a reality the entire family recognized. Smith added that without Elvis, the mansion didn’t feel like a family home anymore.
However, Lisa Marie appeared to have a conflicted relationship with Graceland. She discussed how the home would be her forever resting place in the 2003 song “Lights Out.”
Lisa Marie Presley reportedly also took a step back from her Presley cousins
Danny Smith revealed that as time went on, Lisa Marie Presley also took a step back from seeing her Presley family regularly. He said it was something that just happened.
“She had her life,” Smith began. “With her book, you all know what was in it.”
He added, “Her mother didn’t want her to know Elvis’ side of the family. For reasons, I’m gonna say it, like jealously. Of how close my dad and Elvis [Presley] were.”
He added, “But just like she could have picked up the phone and called any time, I could have done the same thing.” Lisa Marie did recall fond memories of living at Graceland on The Talk, speaking of all the time she and Elvis spent together, particularly in the restricted upstairs area where his and Lisa Marie’s bedrooms were located.
Smith added that he and his family have not tried to reach out to Riley Keough, and she, in turn, hasn’t reached out either. Lisa Marie’s oldest daughter is Graceland’s sole owner and the lone trustee of the Promenade Trust, which manages the estate. Lisa Marie Presley previously held the role until her death in January 2023.
