The passing of Lisa Marie Presley in early 2023 was a deeply painful ordeal for her mother, Priscilla Presley. In her memoir and interviews, Priscilla detailed the harrowing experience of watching Lisa Marie fight for her life before the decision was made to remove her from life support.
Lisa Marie was rushed to the hospital after cardiac arrest and placed on mechanical ventilation. Priscilla described spending an agonizing day by her daughter’s side, hoping for a miracle. “For hours we waited, hoping and praying,” she said. “Then the doctor told me she was gone. It was devastating.”
The cause of Lisa Marie’s death was a strangulated small bowel, a known risk following bariatric surgery years before. Priscilla revealed conversations with medical staff about the bleak prognosis of Lisa Marie’s quality of life if supported artificially, leading her to the difficult choice of ending life support.
The mother recalled the moment the machines were turned off as “unbearable,” her overwhelming sorrow rendering her unable to recall much after the decision. Priscilla called it “the second saddest day of my life, next to losing Elvis.”
Priscilla now confronts allegations in a lawsuit accusing her of hastening Lisa Marie’s death to control the Presley legacy. The assertions have been refuted by her attorneys as false and malicious.
Though the pain remains, Priscilla’s candid reflections provide a solemn insight into the agonies faced by families confronting end-of-life decisions.
