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Priscilla Presley has rejected the idea Elvis was “racist”.
The 77-year-old businesswoman – who was married to the King of Rock and Roll for six years until their divorce in 1973 – has defended her late husband against the idea he was “prejudiced in any way”.
Appearing on TalkTV’s ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ on Tuesday night (19.07.22), she said: “He was not a racist. He’s never been a racist.
“Elvis had friends, Black friends, friends from all over. He loved their music. He loved their style.
“He loved being around, you know, black musicians. I mean, Fats Domino, when he was in Vegas, he was in the lounge playing and he would always, we would always, go and hang out with him.
“Sammy Davis Jr, the same thing, he would always come into the dressing room. He loved, loved being around blacks and being around anyone actually.”
Priscilla – who has daughter Lisa Marie with the ‘Jailhouse Rock’ legend – described the current climate as “frightening”, claiming people are “looking” for ways to “somehow dispose” anyone they can.
She added: “He was just not prejudiced in any way. And not racist in any way.
“You know, this is a very frightening time… it’s almost like, you know, we’re looking for something from everyone that we can somehow dispose them in some way. And that’s why it’s so frightening, right now.”
Despite some accusations of racism due to the influence he took from African-American musicians, Elvis had always voiced his admiration for Black performers, as well as pushing back against segregation and racial prejudice which was seen in the southern states at the time.
Meanwhile, Priscilla – who met Elvis when she was 14 in Germany, 10 years his junior – previously revealed she “knew” what she was getting into with the attention he had from the media.
She said: “The beginning [of the marriage] was very difficult, but I knew what I was in for because I saw it at a very young age.”
