Priscilla Presley’s legal battle with her former business partner heats up with new $50 million suit

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This week, the contentious legal disagreement between Priscilla Presley and her ex-business partner grew more intense.

In a filing at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Brigitte Kruse – the founder of GWS Auctions Inc., based in Agoura Hills – and her business partner, Kevin Fialko, have initiated legal action against Presley, alleging fraudulent conduct and breach of contract.

According to the lawsuit, it’s claimed that Elvis’s former wife worked against their joint business endeavors and took advantage of the passing of her daughter Lisa Marie Presley to seize power over her trust and Graceland. The claimants are pursuing compensation exceeding $50 million as a result.

They claim they put in countless hours, approximately thousands, and a substantial sum of around millions of dollars into rebuilding Priscilla’s public image and brand. Regrettably, it was their business association with Presley that eventually came to an end.

The suit labels Presley, aged 80, as a “seizer of opportunities” and portrays a stormy dynamic between her and her daughter.

Presley’s attorney Wayne Harman was not available for comment.

2 years ago, Kruse initially took legal action against Elvis’s ex-wife in Florida for breach of contract. This was due to her decision to withdraw from the business partnership they had established, aimed at launching multiple ventures using Priscilla Presley’s name and likeness, as well as enhancing Kruse’s Elvis memorabilia auctions, through her published “memoirs.

As a cinema enthusiast looking back on last year, I found myself entangled in an unfortunate situation with Kruse, who is significantly younger than me, and his business associates. They were accused of fraudulent practices and elder abuse, a claim I had to make right here in the heart of Los Angeles. The allegations suggested that I was coerced into a form of servitude, where I felt compelled to surrender an overwhelming 80% of my earnings. However, Kruse vehemently denied these charges.

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The ongoing court dispute represents yet another instance in the long series of legal conflicts that Priscilla and the Presley family have encountered ever since Elvis passed away about half a century ago. This has left behind a financial inheritance just as complicated and tumultuous as the King’s life itself.

Kruse’s LA lawsuit counters several allegations from Presley’s fraud suit with its own account, according to Presley’s attorney.

Both paraphrases aim to convey the idea that Kruse’s lawsuit provides an opposing viewpoint to certain claims in Presley’s lawsuit.

In a statement, lawyer Jordan Matthews emphasized that it’s clear my clients are the true sufferers in this situation. They poured millions of dollars and countless years of dedicated effort into rejuvenating Priscilla Presley’s brand, only to be deceived and wrongfully accused once the financial matters were settled and all personal and professional disagreements were resolved.

The lawsuit alleges that Priscilla exerted undue influence on Elvis’s father, Vernon, in 1979 when he was dying, forcing him to make Priscilla a co-executor of Elvis’s estate by using a mortgage claim against Graceland and assuming control over the trust’s management.

The statement implies that Priscilla had aspirations to have final say or authority over her daughter’s trust and the property known as Graceland in the long run.

Before Lisa Marie’s unexpected passing in January 2023, when she was 54 years old, her relationship with her mother had become significantly strained. As per court documents, Lisa Marie chose not to accompany her mother on the red carpet or sit with Presley during the Golden Globes ceremony honoring Baz Luhrmann’s film “Elvis,” due to the tension between them.

During this period, Lisa Marie was taking steps to replace her mother as the only trustee for an irrevocable life insurance policy. She was also expressing her intention to file a lawsuit against her.

Kruse asserts that she and Fialko made efforts to maintain family unity, and collaborated with Presley’s publicist to have them walk together on the red carpet and occupy adjacent seats during the award presentation.

Two days later, Lisa Marie suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to West Hills Hospital.

In my support, I must clarify that, according to the complaint, I (Presley) allegedly failed to adhere to my daughter’s wishes outlined in her advanced care directive. Specifically, she expressed a desire for her life to be extended, within reasonable healthcare standards, for as long as possible. A copy of this health care directive from 2010 is presented as an exhibit in the lawsuit.

After the passing of Lisa Marie, Presley contested in court to question a modification that previously stripped her of being a trustee for Lisa Marie’s estate, known as the Promenade Trust. Instead, his granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, became the sole trustee. The dispute was resolved five months later.

According to Kruse’s claims, she and Fialko negotiated an arrangement on Presley’s behalf, which led to a $2.4 million payment for her, and also secured a substantial contract for Priscilla’s son, Navarone, worth over one million dollars.

Kruse and her business, GWS Auctions, are facing a lawsuit from the Elvis Presley Estate due to allegations that they illegally attempted to sell a collection of documents belonging to Elvis and Col. Tom Parker at auction, which the estate claims were not properly offered for sale. However, an attorney representing Kruse has contested this claim, stating that she had previously informed the Elvis estate about the existence of these documents in 2021.

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2025-08-13 21:31