‘Family curse’ behind Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley conspiracy theories

The sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley has led to wild claims about why she followed her father Elvis to an early grave, as her final interview showed “something off”.

From the Covid vaccine to inbreeding, the sudden death of Lisa Marie Presley has led to wild conspiracy theories that she fell victim to the same family curse that took her father, Elvis.

As tributes continued to pour in — from the family of her ex-husband Michael Jackson to the son of Beatles icon John Lennon — the currently unknown cause of Presley’s cardiac arrest has created a vacuum for speculation to run rife.

Elvis Presley with his wife Priscilla Beaulieu Presley and their 4 day old daughter Lisa Marie Presley on February 5, 1968. Picture: Getty Images

Some online speculated the heart attack at the age of 54 years old was caused by the Covid vaccine. Others, meanwhile, have pointed to a genetic defect caused by “inbreeding” that is responsible for the unusually high number of early deaths in the Presley family.

These are just a few examples from a single Telegram channel (Far right conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec): pic.twitter.com/YhTAM6bKKX

— Teddy Wilson (@reportbywilson) January 13, 2023

Elvis Presley died of cardiac arrest at the age of 42 while his mother Gladys, Lisa Marie’s grandmother, died of heart failure at the age of 46. Several other Presley family members also died in their 40s.

Author Sally Hoedel, who published the Elvis: Destined to Die Young biography, suggests the early fates of the Presley family – including three of Gladys’ brothers – could be linked to inbreeding from earlier relatives.

Elvis Presley’s maternal grandparents were first cousins, writes Ms Hoedel. She argues this led to a genetic defect – Alpha-1 antitrypsin – which could be responsible for many of the deaths in the extended family.

“We know Elvis had it because he was found to be a carrier for Alpha-1 after his death, so it had to come from somewhere,” she told the US Sun. “And it all leads back to Gladys’ parents.”

American rock legend Elvis Presley with his daughter Lisa-Marie Presley. (Photo by Frank Carroll/Sygma via Getty Images)

In her book, Hoedel examines the health issues of Elvis’ grandmother, Doll Smith, who is believed to have suffered from Tuberculosis for more than 30 years. She married her first cousin, Bob Smith. Their other children, Elvis’ three uncles, all died at similar ages from heart and lung-related issues.

“So it stops being a coincidence by the time it gets to Elvis,” she added, “because there’s so much going on in that family tree.”

While the direct cause of Lisa Marie Presley’s cardiac arrest has not yet been revealed, she had been open in the past with her health issues, including her journey to sobriety after an addiction to opioids.

Presley’s ex-husband, Danny Keough, who also lives at the property, performed CPR until paramedics arrived and transported her to the hospital, where she was put in an induced coma on life support.

In her final television appearance at the Golden Globes, just two days earlier, she spoke slowly and appeared to slur words as she leaned a longtime friend of Elvis, Jerry Shilling, for support.

“I’m gonna grab your arm,” she said during the interview on the red carpet.

Billy Bush, who conducted the interview, told NewsNation he immediately know something was wrong.

“I asked her, here let me lend you a hand to come up and she was on the arm of Jerry Shilling,” Bush said. “He was holding her arm and she was very much relying on his support for balance and she spoke very slowly.”

“And I can tell you this, when the interview was over, I said to my crew, something’s off. There’s no question that she was off. She was a little slow.”

In a statement, the Presley family said: “Priscilla Presley and the Presley family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie.

“They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

Among the stars who paid tribute was La Toya Jackson, the sister of Presley’s ex-husband, Michael Jackson.

Jackson posted on Twitter to pay tribute to the late singer and her former sister-in-law.

“We miss you Lisa! You will forever be in our hearts,” she wrote alongside images of the Thriller singer and Presley together.

“I will never forget how much you shared the love you had for my brother with me, I thank you for being so honest #RIP,” she added.

Jackson and Presley were married for nearly two years after a secret wedding in 1994 following the latter’s divorce from first husband, Danny Keough.

Sean Ono Lennon, the son of Beatles legends John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shared his “kinship” with the progeny of another music icon who lost a father early.

“I have to admit I felt a kinship with her. Not many people know what it’s like. I know she was a special person. My heart aches for Priscilla,” he said.

FINAL DAYS REVEALED

Lisa Marie Presley was struggling to cope with the loss of her son in the lead up to her death, a source has revealed.

The singer was living a reclusive life and struggling to cope after her son Benjamin Keough took his own life in 2020, a source close the star told the US Sun.

Lisa Marie was last seen in public at the 80th Golden Globe Awards on Tuesday (local time) with mother Priscilla Presley and actor Austin Butler, who won an award for his role as Elvis in the 2021 biopic directed by Australian director Baz Luhrmann.

There have been reports the late singer appeared frail and was seen clinging to Butler’s arm in photos taken before the ceremony.

In the images, Lisa Marie looked tired.

Austin Butler and Lisa Marie Presley were photographed together at the 80th Golden Globe Awards. Picture: Twitter

Prior to the Globes, Lisa Marie was understood to have kept to herself.

A source close to the star said she struggled to cope with the pain of his death.

“She found it so difficult to cope and barely left the house for months after his death. They would just be holed up in there and she’d stay in her bedroom,” the source told the US Sun.

“In her final years, she was racked with grief over Ben. He was her baby and he relied on her heavily.

“Her world completely fell apart when he died.

“She was comforted having her ex Danny [Keough] around again, they weren’t romantic but they were close.”

LISA MARIE NET WORTH REVEALED

Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the King of Rock n Roll Elvis Presley, was understood to be broke, despite inheriting he father’s US$100 million (A$135 million) estate when she turned 25.

Her financial woes have been widely reported over the years, with the majority of the family’s fortune largely squandered by Lisa Marie’s former business manager Barry Siegel.

American singer Lisa Marie Presley has died, aged 54. Picture: Adam Taylor

In 2005, Mr Siegel sold 85 per cent of Lisa Marie’s share in Elvis Presley Estate, but instead of netting the full $US100 million ($135 million) for Lisa Marie’s Trust, the deal brought in only $US40 million after taxes, plus $US25 million worth of stock in the future holding company of American Idol, according to Forbes.

Between 2005 and 2015, nearly all of this money was gone, and Lisa Marie was left in debt.

In 2018, Lisa Marie sued Barry Siegel and his financial company, Provident Financial Management, accusing Mr Siegel of hiding the Trust’s true financial condition.

She claimed Mr Siegel said her finances were in “good shape” despite whittling them down to just US$14,000 (A$19,000), according to court documents.

American rock legend Elvis Presley with his daughter Lisa Marie Presley. Picture: Getty Images

At the time, she said she owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and other debt.

A year later, her mother Priscilla sold her Los Angeles mansion to help Lisa Marie with her growing debts.

“Priscilla would never have done this if she didn’t believe it was her daughter’s last chance,” a source told Radar of the $US5.5 million sale at the time.

But it didn’t end there. Lisa Marie continued to have money troubles, particularly with divorce expenses.

It comes as Lisa Marie, a singer in her own right, died in circumstances eerily similar to her famous father, 45 years ago.

Her unexpected death has shocked the world and revived talk of the curse stalking the Presley family. It began when Elvis’s identical twin brother Jesse died at birth, followed by the heart attack death of his mother Gladys at 46 years old, Elvis’s death at 42, also from a heart attack, and the suicide death his grandson — Lisa Marie’s only son — Benjamin at 27 years old.

Lisa Marie was found by her house keeper and ex-husband Danny Keough unresponsive in the bedroom of her home in Calabasas, California, suffering from cardiac arrest. Despite desperate attempts to revive her, the 54-year-old died later in hospital.

Jerry Schilling and Lisa Marie Presley pictured at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 10, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

In 1977, her father Elvis was also found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his home at Graceland in Memphis by his fiancee. After struggling for years with prescription drug addictions, he also died of a heart attack.

In recent years Lisa Marie too had talked openly about her struggle with prescription opioid drugs after she gave birth to her twin daughters Finley Aaron Love and Harper Vivienne Anne.

Lisa Marie, who was nine when her father died, had just two days before her death attended with her mother, Priscilla, the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills to see Austin Butler win a Globe for his acclaimed portrayal of her father in the film Elvis.

That night, Lisa Marie was noticeably unsteady on her feet and slurring her words sparking concerns for her health and that she might have succumbed to the drug and alcohol addictions that had plagued her.

Priscilla Presley with daughter Lisa Marie Presley, pictured together in Nashville is 2013. Picture: Getty Images

When news of Lisa Marie’s collapse broke, her mother rushed to be at her daughter’s side — only to be told the tragic news.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE Thursday evening.

“She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment.”

Actor Tom Hanks, who starred in Elvis, said “our hearts are broken”, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan said “there is heartbreak and then there is sorrow”, while actress Mia Farrow described Lisa Marie’s death as “just so very sad”.

Actor Nicholas Cage and then girlfriend Lisa Marie Presley at the premiere of n"Windtalkers," in Los Angeles.

Her ex husband actor Nicolas Cage said in a statement: “This is devastating news. Lisa had the greatest laugh of anyone I ever met. She lit up every room, and I am heartbroken.”

Lisa Marie’s life has longed played out in the headlines from her teenage drug use at age 13 to 17 which landed her in her first stint of rehab with the Church of Scientology to her shock marriage to Michael Jackson — a move she later explained as trying to save him.

She was married four times, first to Keough in 1988 who was in her back up band and they had two children together Benjamin and Riley, who is now an actress.

Her second marriage to Michael Jackson in 1994 was short-lived and Lisa Marie said that was mainly due to his opioid abuse.

Lisa Marie Presley married Michael Jackson for a short period of time. They’re pictured here together at Disneyland in September 1994. Picture: Getty Images

Lisa Marie then tied the knot with Cage in 2002 after they met at a wild birthday party. The marriage only lasted only a few months, with the singer saying they had both had forceful personalities.

Her fourth marriage to musician Michael Lockwood in 2006 spanned more than a decade and they had twin girls.

But as that relationship crumbled, Lisa Marie was to reveal she was taking cocktails of drugs and alcohol and that she had become addicted to opioids after the birth of their daughters.

She was later to write in the forward of a book about opioids, that people may wonder how, after losing people close to her she also fell prey to opioids.

“It only took a short-term prescription of opioids in the hospital for me to feel the need to keep taking them,” she wrote.

Lisa Marie Presley.

Lisa Marie had reportedly kicked the drugs before the death of her son in 2020.

After the death of Benjamin, ex-husband Keough had moved in with Lisa Marie to help them both deal with the loss. He had just driven Lisa Marie’s youngest girls to school when he returned home and found her collapsed.

Last year she wrote of her grief in PEOPLE magazine, saying Benjamin’s death had left her “destroyed”.

Lisa Marie also told of her enormous guilt and how she blamed herself. She said before her son’s death, she had avoided other parents who had lost children because it was truly her greatest fear.

“Death is part of life whether we like it or not — and so is grieving. There is so much to learn and understand on the subject,” she wrote.

“But here’s what I know so far: One is that grief does not stop or go away in any sense, a year, or years after the loss.

Lisa Marie also revealed in the article, published just five months ago, that it had been a huge struggle to keep going on with life.

“I’ve dealt with death, grief and loss since the age of nine years old. I’ve had more than anyone’s fair share of it in my lifetime and somehow, I’ve made it this far….”she wrote.

“It’s a real choice to keep going, one that I have to make every single day and one that is constantly challenging to say the least …”

If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or BeyondBlue 1300 224 636. If it is an emergency please call 000.

Originally published as ‘Family curse’ behind Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley conspiracy theories