'Had to Die': Elvis Was So Angry When He Learned Priscilla Had a New Boyfriend He Planned to Hire a Hitman to Kill Him, She Claims in New Tell-All Memoir

When Priscilla Presley left Elvis for another man, the singer was livid.
Sept. 19 2025, Published 7:50 p.m. ET
Priscilla Presley has revealed her husband, Elvis, became so incredibly jealous and angry after her affair with her karate instructor, the legendary singer threatened to have him killed, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Naked Gun star left the King in 1972 amid her torrid affair with martial arts master Mike Stone.
Elvis Left Furious Over Priscilla's Affair

Priscilla has bared her soul for her new memoir.
In her new book, Softly, As I Leave You, the 80-year-old writes that Elvis became humiliated and enraged when she announced she was leaving him.
"Elvis found the thought of me with another man unbearable," she writes. "In the weeks after my departure, he told the guys that 'Mike had to die'. He even asked Joe (Esposito) to find a hit man."
Priscilla went on to claim Esposito told her of Elvis' demands, and warned her to "be careful" and stay away from her ex. Eventually, Elvis calmed down and dropped the alleged "hit" on Priscilla.
She would go on to date Stone for three more years before the couple went their separate ways in 1975.

Elvis and Priscilla married in 1967.
Elvis and Priscilla may have divorced in 1973, but the girl he met when she was just a teenager never stopped caring for him and about him.
It's no surprise the two are still talked about as one, decades after his sudden death from heart failure at age 42. The legendary performer and the woman he lovingly nicknamed 'Cilla were married for only six years but shared one of America's most epic love stories.
Yet they also endured great pain. Priscilla – who fell in love with Elvis when she was just 14 and married him in 1967 at age 21.
During their marriage, she seemed to have it all, but in reality was desperately unhappy.
Elvis And Priscilla's Devastating Divorce

They welcomed a daughter, Lisa Marie, together.
Her escape was a dance class she attended "to break out a little bit," she said. She also began taking karate lessons, earning a green belt, after Elvis introduced her to instructor Stone.
A friend confided: "Mike became Priscilla's closest confidant."
As their relationship continued to deteriorate, Elvis and Priscilla divorced in 1973. The shattered love was truly traumatic for the King, and it was made worse when she began dating Stone.
"He was devastated for two reasons: Elvis was still in love with her, and he had lost control over her," Chris Hutchins, author of Elvis: A Personal Memoir, previously said. "Suddenly, Priscilla was in another man's life, and it made Elvis very, very angry. He was a good man, but he went mad with rage."
Falling in Love Again


Priscilla has revealed she's ready to love again.
Priscilla has had several lovers since her divorce, but never remarried. Now, in her older age, it looks like she's ready to find a burning love once more.
A source told RadarOnline.com she has re-entered the dating scene, asking pals to play matchmaker – and reaching out to old boyfriends for a confidence boost.
"Priscilla has a large circle of friends whom she trusts and can rely on, and she's asked them to help set her up," a source claimed. "At every dinner party she goes to, there are always interesting men seated next to her."
The insider stated: "Priscilla's been through the wringer, but she's not sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She still wants to live life to the fullest for as long as she can."