Priscilla Presley is opening up about her fractured relationship with Lisa Marie Presley in the final years of her daughter’s life.
In her new memoir “Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis” (Grand Central Publishing, 336 pp., on sale Tuesday, Sept. 23), Presley says that things between them were never the same after Lisa Marie’s unsuccessful bid for sole custody of twins Harper and Finley during her divorce from Michael Lockwood.
In an early copy of the book provided to USA TODAY, Priscilla, 80, describes Lisa Marie’s fourth marriage failing as she struggled to overcome a substance abuse addiction to opioids, painkillers, cocaine and alcohol. In June 2016, she filed for divorce and subsequently accused Lockwood of child abuse and sexual misconduct.
At the time, Lockwood's lawyer, Jeff Sturman, told the Associated Press that Lockwood denied the "highly sensational" and "inaccurate" charges. In a legal filing, Lockwood said he was "disgusted" by Presley's "unproven allegations about me."
When the court’s investigation failed to find any wrongdoing on Lockwood’s part, Lisa Marie, according to the memoir, made a “last-ditch effort” for sole custody and asked her mother to sign a deposition supporting her allegations that Lockwood was “unfit to have custody of the girls.”
