Priscilla Presley‘s former business partner, Brigitte Kruse, has responded to her allegations of financial elder abuse.
Kruse issued a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, January 22, rejecting the claims as “retaliatory” in the lawsuit filed by Presley’s attorney, Marty Singer, four days earlier.
“We are confident that the facts will speak for themselves and justice will prevail,” Kruse stated. “It saddens all of us who dropped our lives to provide aid to a woman who needed help and she is now attempting to use her celebrity status to ruin the lives of kind, hardworking people. Thank you to all of our supporters who have stood by us during this difficult time. We will continue to focus on our business and look forward to our day in court. The truth will come out by way of evidence and not rumors. There will be no further comment at this time as we respect the judicial process.”
Us has reached out to Presley’s legal team for comment.
Priscilla Presley ‘Never Had Any Desire’ to Remarry After Elvis Presley
On Thursday, July 18, Presley, 79, sued four business associates, including Kruse, for 12 different complaints, including financial elder abuse. Singer claimed they planned to “drain her of every last penny she had” and had “meticulously” orchestrated a scheme against “an older woman by 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” both personally and financially.”
Singer further alleged that the defendants aimed to gain control of Presley’s finances and “[force] her into a form of indentured servitude” where she would work, and they would “receive the lion’s share of any revenue that she was able to earn in the future.”
Court documents obtained by Us referred to Kruse specifically as a “con artist and pathological liar” who, along with defendant Kevin Fialko, “misappropriated, [embezzled] and converted” more than $1 million from Presley. Further claims stated that they “fraudulently” had Presley “sign contracts” to receive 80 percent of her income.
According to the suit, Kruse ran a business selling Elvis Presley memorabilia and met Presley, the late music legend’s ex-wife, in 2021. (Kruse owns California-based GWS Auctions, now under scrutiny over the authenticity of its Elvis-related memorabilia.)
Inside Elvis Presley’s Graceland: Everything to Know
Presley co-founded Elvis Presley Enterprises and has helped run the multi-million dollar business empire related to Elvis’ estate. In February, Kruse and Fialko sued her for breach of contract — a claim Singer denied on Presley’s behalf.
The attorney claimed in the July 18 suit that the defendants “established a personal relationship with Presley that enabled them to gain her complete trust and isolate her from her long-time business and financial advisors.” He also alleged that they gained “power of attorney, control over her family and personal trusts, and control over her bank accounts.” Kruse and Fialko attempted to “falsely portray themselves as the victims” with the initial suit after “their scheme had been uncovered,” the documents read.
Presley is seeking a jury trial and $1 million in damages plus attorney fees.
