People close to Priscilla Presley have raised concerns about potential signs of cognitive decline in the 79-year-old amid speculation she may have unwittingly fallen victim to financial exploitation targeting the elderly, a new report says.
According to a recent legal filing, the ex-wife of Elvis Presley, who has a net worth of $50 million, has accused Brigitte Kruse, an auctioneer specializing in memorabilia, and her associates of deceiving her with flattery before swindling her out of $1 million.
After attorney Martin Singer filed the lawsuit, an unnamed insider told the Globe that Priscilla’s friends were concerned that she was “allowing herself to be lied to and betrayed.” Music Times was unable to independently verify this information.
“They wondered, ‘Is she just having an isolated lapse in judgment? Or is this part of a larger issue of cognitive decline?’” the Graceland insider confirmed.
Priscilla’s lawsuit alleges that Kruse “[preyed] with an elderly woman by gaining her trust, isolating her from the most important people in her life, and tricking her into believing they would take care of her — both personally and financially — when their real goal was to squeeze every penny out of her.”
The lawsuit alleges Kruse manipulated Priscilla into signing contracts that allocated 80 percent of her earnings to Kruse and her associates.
READ MORE: Priscilla Presley files new lawsuit alleging $1M theft, elder abuse by former associates
According to court records, the businesswoman allegedly wormed her way into Priscilla’s world in 2021 by repeatedly sending her text messages expressing admiration and adoration.
Kruse and his associates’ alleged manipulation led Priscilla to believe that her previous advisors were unreliable or incompetent because they allegedly fabricated excuses to withdraw large sums of money from Priscilla’s bank account.
In addition to withdrawing funds, Priscilla also accused them of imposing unfair fees, transferring her accounts to their institutions, and forcing her to mortgage assets owned by Kruse’s partner.
Meanwhile, Kruse took legal action against Priscilla in September 2021 by filing a breach of contract lawsuit against her, claiming she abruptly stopped all contact after forming Priscilla Presley Partners.
The legal battle continues to rage between Kruse and Priscilla, with Kruse alleging Priscilla is on the brink of bankruptcy with nearly $700,000 in overdue taxes.
In response, Priscilla viewed Kruse’s legal action as retaliation.
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