Priscilla Presley reflects on Lisa Marie’s marriage to Michael Jackson in new memoir

Priscilla Presley has discussed her feelings towards her daughter Lisa Marie's marriage to Michael Jackson, writing about her feelings in her new memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis. Priscilla states that she was not happy with the union.

"My lack of enthusiasm was obvious."

Lisa Marie Presley, who died at the age of 54 in January 2023, married Michael Jackson in 1994. The marriage took place only weeks after she divorced Danny Keough. Priscilla Presley stated that she was "appalled" at the union. She continued, saying that to her, Michael Jackson seemed to be a person trying to align with the Elvis Presley name and the fame.

In the memoir, Priscilla wrote that Lisa Marie did not tell her about the actual ceremony because there was no ceremony; she got married in a private ceremony held in the Dominican Republic. Of course, Priscilla was aware it had happened, but her simple reaction was, "Really?" At the end of the day, she made it clear she was lacking enthusiasm for the marriage.

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What does Priscilla Presley say in the memoir?

Priscilla Presley writes that she believed Michael Jackson was "manipulative." She felt he was trying to use Lisa Marie’s name and family background. She thought he might have wanted more than just marriage and worried he wanted good publicity, especially because there were bad accusations against him. She said about her daughter,

"She felt sorry for him, and naturally, she believed in his innocence."

She remembers times when she met Jackson. She said he "wanted nothing to do with me" and seemed more interested in being liked by children or acting childlike. These actions made her uncomfortable. She thought Lisa Marie was growing unhappy.

Priscilla Presley also describes how Jackson asked to have a child with Lisa Marie soon after they married. She felt this was happening too quickly, and Lisa Marie told her mother that Jackson said if she did not have a child with him, he would have children with someone else, named Debbie Rowe. Lisa Marie later decided not to try to have a child with Jackson.

Priscilla writes that Lisa Marie told her there was a physical relationship with Jackson, but that she saw him rarely. Jackson would go away for days without telling Lisa Marie. These absences worried Priscilla, and she felt the relationship was strange. She thought it hurt Lisa Marie.

She writes that Lisa Marie filed for divorce on January 18, 1996. Priscilla says her daughter felt the marriage had been a "setup." At that point, Priscilla says she felt relief and,

"I could practically hear Elvis sigh with relief."

Context and aftermath

Lisa Marie had split from Danny Keough, her first husband, in the spring of 1994. Three weeks after the divorce was finalized, she married Michael Jackson. The wedding was a small affair that happened in the Dominican Republic.

Priscilla Presley claims that she had reminded her daughter of past bad relationships even before the marriage. She suggested to Lisa Marie to wait, to take a chance, but her daughter believed that she knew best when it came to her own mind. She truly believed Jackson was innocent of the allegations when it was happening.

Priscilla Presley also writes about public things that made her feel sad in the memoir. One public experience was the MTV Video Music Awards in 1994. Lisa Marie and Jackson shared a long kiss on stage. Priscilla found that moment "awkward and embarrassing." She says Lisa Marie looked uncomfortable, even "cringed," when people talked about the kiss afterwards.

Priscilla Presley writes that during the marriage, she and Jackson had very few honest conversations. She said Jackson avoided greeting her at events, and she felt Jackson stayed away from her or other adults. He seemed distant, and their interactions were minimal.

When Lisa Marie’s death occurred in 2023, Priscilla said it was "the second saddest day of my life, other than losing Elvis." Her grief is strong as she writes about the loss and how much she misses her daughter.

Priscilla Presley’s memoir Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis was released on September 23, 2025. It gives readers her view of many chapters of life. Among them is this chapter about Lisa Marie’s marriage to Michael Jackson. The memoir shows how Priscilla saw it then, feeling fear, concern, and disapproval. It is not told to judge but to remember.

The story is one part of a larger life lived under the public eye. Priscilla Presley writes about motherhood, love, loss, and finding peace. She shares her memories honestly, sometimes painfully. She tells how being Elvis Presley’s wife and being Lisa Marie’s mother brought moments that she remembers to date.