Hollywood's most legendary romance is back in the limelight, thanks to Sofia Coppola's much-anticipated biopic, Priscilla.
Priscilla made headlines when she candidly opened up about the infamous age gap between her and the late rock 'n' roll icon, Elvis Presley, at the Venice Film Festival press conference on Monday (September 4).
She reminisced about meeting Elvis when she was just 14 and he was 24. According to her, their connection was based on emotional compatibility rather than sexual attraction.
"People think, ‘Oh, it was sex.’ No, it wasn’t," she said via People. "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 elaborated on the extraordinary bond they formed while Elvis was stationed at a military base in Germany.
"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," she shared.
She also spoke about how their relationship was largely kept private, a point that endeared her further to Elvis. "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."
"It wasn’t because I didn’t love him — he was the love of my life," Priscilla said, speaking of their separation in 1972. "It was the lifestyle that was so difficult for me, and I think any woman can relate to that."
She insisted that their relationship remained intact despite the split, highlighting that they "still remained very close" and that she ensured their daughter, Lisa Marie, spent quality time with her father.
Priscilla was visibly emotional as she lauded Coppola's cinematic interpretation of her life story. "It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love," she said. "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."
The film stars Jacob Elordi, 26, and Cailee Spaeny, 25, as the iconic couple and is inspired by the
Interestingly, the film hasn't received the rights to Elvis' music from Elvis Presley Enterprises, setting it apart from Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film Elvis.
As audiences eagerly await the release of Priscilla, this emotional press conference has reignited the public's fascination with one of pop culture's most talked-about relationships.
