Priscilla Presley says the death of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was the “second saddest” day in her life.
“It was the second saddest day of my life besides losing Elvis (Presley),” Priscilla, 80, told people on Wednesday ahead of her release of her memoir, “I’ll slowly leave my life after Elvis.”
“It took me a long time to accept the fact that Lisa was gone,” she added.
Elvis died in August 1977 at the age of 42 of a heart attack. His only child, Lisa Marie, shared with her ex-wife Priscilla, died in January 2023 from a small intestinal obstruction that occurred after bariatric surgery several years ago. She was 54 years old.
After Lisa Marie’s ex-husband, Danny Keefe, realized that she hadn’t responded at her Los Angeles home, he called Priscilla and told her to meet them at the hospital.
“We were there all day. Lisa was really not breathing, so she was on the ventilator,” Priscilla told people, adding that she spent time “waiting, hope, praying” for the miracle.
But that miracle didn’t come. “The doctor came and said, ‘Priscilla, I’m sorry, she’s gone,'” she recalled. “We couldn’t believe it — we didn’t want to believe it. It was tough for all of us. That’s still true.”
Priscilla is struggling. She helped Navalon Garibaldi, her 38-year-old son, who she shares with her ex-boyfriend Marco Garibaldi, get clean from her addiction. According to Priscilla, he is now calm and in a “good place.”
The patriarch lost his grandson due to suicide. Lisa Marie and Kie’s son Benjamin Kiewu died in July 2020 at the age of 27 from a self-injured gunshot wound.
“It wasn’t easy at all,” Priscilla admitted. “But you have to find strength.”
People continued to publish excerpts from her book. This detailed the unbearable moments that took her daughter from life support.
“She was hooked and pounded by the machine breathing for her, and there was little brain activity,” Priscilla wrote.
“Then we heard an emergency warning from Lisa’s room. It was Code Blue. Lisa’s heart stopped,” said Priscilla Pens.
“The next thing I remember is the doctor talking to me. He asked me what he wanted to do. They resumed Lisa’s mind, but there was no guarantee that it would continue to hit be. He looked at me with compassion and said, “There’s absolutely no quality of life.”
Priscilla says she thought about “a wild, rebellious, passionate girl lying in nourishment for the rest of her life” and conceived a painful call.
“I said what I had to do: ‘Take her from the machine, doctor.” My voice was barely surpassing the whispers. ”
“When I Leave You Gently: Life After Elvis” is out on September 23rd.
