Priscilla Presley has recently made headlines with her allegations against an auction house that she herself was connected to, claiming that it has been involved in selling inauthentic Elvis Presley memorabilia.
Elvis mementos are sacred to the millions of fans that still mourn his death after decades. Such artifacts are also a valuable part of his estate and a cause for disputes among the Presley heirs.
According to a new report from NBC News, GWS Auctions, the auction house owned by Brigitte Kruse — one of four individuals named in Priscilla’s complaint, filed on Thursday, July 18 — has come under questioning by Graceland executives.
Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, told the outlet that he first became suspicious of the auction house when he saw a black grommet jacket, supposedly worn by Elvis in 1972, go up for sale. Weinshanker claims that the jacket, which was a one-of-a-kind item made for Elvis — is hanging in Graceland’s private collection.
“We know there was only one made, and guess what? We have it in our archives,” Weinshanker told NBC News, who reported that they visited Elvis’ Memphis estate and were shown the jacket and its receipt.
According to Priscilla’s complaint filed earlier this week, Kruse and Elvis’ ex-wife developed a friendship over the years, leading to the auction house owner assisting Priscilla with her finances and acting as her power of attorney. Kruse allegedly “quickly immersed herself” in Priscilla’s life, according to the complaint, and the two started working together near the end of 2021 to sell Elvis memorabilia.
NBC News reported that many of the items sold by GWS Auctions were accompanied by letters written by Priscilla stating that they are authentic. However, Graceland executives started having doubts about these letters, as some of them vouchsafed items that would have been owned by Elvis after Priscilla and the musician split, such as a pair of gold “Aloha from Hawaii” snowman cufflinks. According to GWS Auctions, Elvis purchased the cufflinks in Hawaii to celebrate the success of his 1973 TV special Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii.
Brigitte Kruse justifies her belief in the authenticity of the items that she put up for sale by underling her faith in Priscilla and her relationship to The King: “If her personal recollections aren’t worth anything, then whose are?”
Priscilla’s complaint filed earlier this week isn’t her first legal battle with Kruse. In 2023, Kruse sued Priscilla, accusing her of an alleged breach of contract after they formed Priscilla Presley Partners together, but Priscilla countersued claiming elder financial abuse, alleging that while Kruse and her partners promised the 79-year-old that they could assist her in managing her finances and “exploit her name, image and likeness,” instead they actually manipulated and defrauded her.
