Priscilla Presley is opening up about her late daughter Lisa Marie Presley, recalling both sweet childhood memories and difficult moments from her adult life.

Speaking at New York City’s 92Y on Wednesday, September 24, the 80-year-old actress and businesswoman reflected on her new memoir, Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis. 

During the conversation, she shared how much Lisa Marie cherished the Presley name. 

When asked if her daughter ever wished she had a different last name, Priscilla said, “No, she loved her name.” 

She remembered Lisa Marie proudly introducing herself as a child, saying, “You know, I’m Lisa Presley. Do you know who my dad is?” 

Priscilla laughed as she recalled her daughter being only nine or ten at the time, already fully aware of the legacy behind her name.

Priscilla also revealed a more tender side of her daughter’s childhood, speaking about how deeply Lisa Marie missed her father, Elvis Presley, who died in 1977 when she was just nine years old. 

“I found a letter from her that she basically was writing to herself, really. And how much she missed her dad,” Priscilla shared. 

“And it literally broke my heart, because that relationship that she had with him, that meant everything to her. And he played a big role in her life. It was very heartbreaking.”

In her memoir, Priscilla goes beyond those childhood reflections to speak candidly about Lisa Marie’s brief marriage to Michael Jackson. 

She admitted she found the 1994 union troubling, describing it as “appalling.”

Priscilla believed Jackson was more interested in the Presley family name than in Lisa Marie herself, calling him “manipulative” and recalling how he had his sights on her daughter long before Lisa Marie recognized it. 

By the time Lisa Marie filed for divorce in 1996, Priscilla admitted she felt a sense of relief, writing in her memoir, “I could practically hear Elvis sigh with relief.”

Through her memories and reflections, Priscilla continues to honour her daughter’s legacy, both in the joy Lisa Marie carried as a proud Presley and in the challenges she faced along the way.