Priscilla Presley reveals why Elvis was ‘so interested’ in her when she was only 14

During the press conference for Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla, at the Venice Film Festival, Priscilla Presley opened up on how it felt to see her life portrayed in the biopic that centers on her relationship with the iconic Elvis Presley.

“It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love,” Priscilla Presley began as tears welled in her eyes. After taking a moment to collect herself, she continued: “Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could.”

In Priscilla, with Cailee Spaeny portraying the titular character and Jacob Elordi stepping into the role of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, the film delves into Priscilla's connection with Elvis, tracing it back to their initial encounter when she was just 14 years old. 

As she is drawn into his world, Priscilla undergoes a transformative journey into adulthood and discovers her own voice. During the press conference, Priscilla also declared that Elvis did not exploit her youth in any way.

“It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why,” she said. “And I really do think because I was more of a listener. Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother — which he never, ever got over."

"And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection. Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life — not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old. We were more in line in thought, and that was our relationship.”

She added, “I didn’t know why he put so much trust in me, but he did. And I never, ever, ever told anyone that I was seeing him, and that was another issue that he loved, is the fact that I never gave him up in any way. I never told anyone at school that I was seeing him."

"So, we built a relationship and then our relationship went on until I left. 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, and I think any woman can relate to that. But it didn’t mar our relationship, we still remained very close. And of course, we had our daughter, and I made sure that he saw her all the time. It was like we never left each other.”

Earlier in the same press conference, Coppola also explained how she wrapped her head around how young Priscilla was when she met Elvis. “I can go back to being that age and remember having a crush on an older guy and a rockstar,” she said. “I just imagined myself in her point of view.”

Priscilla premieres in theaters on Oct. 27.