Priscilla Presley claims she is a victim of financial abuse.
On Thursday, July 18, Priscilla’s lawyer, Marty Singer, filed a complaint alleging that a woman named Brigitte Kruse, among others, took advantage of Elvis Presley’s ex-wife and stole $1 million.
TMZ was the first to disclose the news.
Kruse’s legal team told PEOPLE that they couldn’t comment since they hadn’t received a copy of the case. We notified Ms. Presley’s attorneys that we did not have a copy of this filing, but they have not responded.
In the filing, which also names Kevin Fialko, Vahe Sislyan, Lynn Walker Wright, and Priscilla Presley Partners, Priscilla claims that Kruse, the founder of Kruse GWS Auctions, controlled Priscilla’s finances and forced her into a “form of indentured servitude” by “gaining her trust, isolating her from the most important people in her life, and duping her into believing that they would take care of her (personally and financially).”
“They convinced [Priscilla] that all of her former advisors were either deceitful or incompetent, and that she was leaving millions of dollars on the table as the result of their mismanagement,” claimed the petition.
According to the paperwork, “By isolating her and immersing themselves in every aspect of her life, the Defendants were able to fraudulently induce [Priscilla] into giving them power of attorney, control over her family and personal trusts, and control over her bank accounts.”
Priscilla, 79, met Kruse through mutual connections to explore Kruse’s business selling Elvis memorabilia, according to the petition. Then, Kruse apparently “quickly immersed herself” in Priscilla’s life, and they began collaborating by the end of 2021.
When Priscilla lost trust in her long-time advisors, Kruse allegedly gained access to her finances, and her new advisors, whom Kruse chose, “falsely” told her she was financially unstable and “would not survive without their ability to exploit her name, image, and likeness on her behalf,” according to the filing.
Following Kruse’s guidance, Priscilla claimed to have founded enterprises in which her partners received 80% of her income while she retained minority ownership. She also claims that funds from the Sofia Coppola-directed film Priscilla were misused.
In another case, Priscilla alleges she was supposed to earn an ownership stake in a cosmetics company, but her former business partners instead settled for a $300,000 upfront payment, which was transferred into bank accounts they controlled.
Priscilla further claims that the defendants removed $40,000 from her son, Navarone Garcia’s, bank account for “no legitimate reason” and failed to notify either side of the withdrawal.
Priscilla wants the licenses and operating agreements for the “sham companies” revoked, to prevent the defendants from accessing her financial accounts, and to hold them “accountable for their wrongful actions.”
“They manipulated and defrauded an older woman during extremely vulnerable moments in her life (including the death of her daughter) to enrich themselves,” according to the complaint.
In September 2021, Priscilla told PEOPLE about her experience working with Kruse GWS Auctions, which featured various pieces of Elvis memorabilia.
“I thought, ‘Why not be a part of it?'” Priscilla commented at the moment. “I used to have a different opinion about these estate sales, but then as I got older I realized that you have to pass these things down to someone who’ll appreciate them.”
Kruse continued, “She has so much experience and wisdom. You cannot study and learn about Elvis without also understanding about Priscilla. “Their names are synonymous.”
Kruse sued Priscilla in September 2023 for alleged breach of contract after the two created Priscilla Presley Partners, TMZ reported. According to the publication, Priscilla abruptly cut off all connection with Kruse in August 2023.