Priscilla Presley Accuses “Sham Companies” of Robbing $1M From Her
Elvis Presley’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, filed legal action against a woman whom she claims financially abused her and robbed her of $1 million.
Court documents filed last Thursday, July 18, accuse Brigitte Kruse and her colleagues of “indentured servitude” that entailed “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).”
The filing describes how Kruse, the founder of Kruse GWS Auctions, made Presley believe that her previous financial advisors were dishonest and inept. They told her she was “leaving millions of dollars on the table” because of their incompetence.
Moreover, “by isolating her and immersing themselves in every aspect of her life, the Defendants were able to fraudulently induce [Presley] into giving them power of attorney, control over her family and personal trusts, and control over her bank accounts.”
Brigitte Kruse’s MO
According to TMZ, the first news outlet to report the story, Presley and Kruse met through mutual acquaintances. They talked about Kruse’s business which involved selling Elvis Presley merchandise. She quickly became part of Presley’s life and were working together before 2021 ended.
After Presley cut ties with her advisors, she claims that Kruse gained access to Presley’s finances and selected a new set of advisors for her. Kruse allegedly ingratiated herself into Presley’s affairs and created a false sense of alarm regarding Presley’s financial condition.
Presley was reportedly told that she “would not survive without their ability to exploit her name, image, and likeness on her behalf.”
Upon Kruse’s recommendation, Presley said she established companies that enabled Kruse and her group to get 80% of her earnings while Presley had control over minority shares. The filing added that her income from the 2023 production based on her life, Priscilla, was misused by her new financial managers.
Presley also alleges that she was supposed to have ownership over a cosmetics company but Kruse and her associates accepted a $300,000 payment that was channeled into bank accounts they had access to.
Additionally, the report mentioned a $40,000 unauthorized withdrawal from the account of her son, Navarone Garcia. It states that Presley and Navarone were never informed of the illegitimate transaction.
The court filing is seeking redress, specifically, Presley wants the “sham companies” to have their operating agreements and licenses revoked. She also wants to remove their access to her financial accounts and for them to be “accountable for their wrongful actions.”
