Lisa Marie Presley Accused Sofia Coppola’s ‘Priscilla’ of Being ‘Shockingly Vengeful’

“Why are you coming for my Dad and my family?” is a line I imagine flows quite naturally in a spat between housewives in a second-tier Bravo show. But reshuffle the context to be between the late Lisa Marie Presley and Sofia Coppola and my interest is considerably more piqued.

According to Variety, the princess of rock and roll, Lisa Marie, sent two emails to Coppola in September 2022, expressing her distaste for Coppola’s Priscilla script. The film at that point was still in pre-production. Lisa Marie reportedly had seen an early draft of the script, which was based on her mother, Priscilla Presley’s, 1984 book Elvis and Me. One of the emails read:

“My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative. As his daughter, I don’t read this and see any of my father in this character. I don’t read this and see my mother’s perspective of my father. I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don’t understand why?”

Lisa Marie contended that her mother wouldn’t understand the ramifications of a film portraying her husband as predatory. “I feel protective over my mother who has spent her whole life elevating my father’s legacy,” she wrote. Coppola’s film, which premieres today, recounts the early courtship between 14-year-old Priscilla and 24-year-old Elvis. Jezebel’s review of the film argued that it was a pretty sanitized version of Priscilla’s 1984 book. And for what it’s worth, Priscilla herself is not only an executive producer on the project but has participated in publicity for the film, as well.

When Variety reached out for comment to Coppola, her team responded with the sentiment that the director sent to Lisa Marie last year.

“I hope that when you see the final film you will feel differently, and understand I’m taking great care in honoring your mother, while also presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity,”

Lisa Marie, as you know, passed away in January and did not get to see the film before it was completed.

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