Graceland reps doubt authenticity of Elvis Presley memorabilia sold by auction house tied to Priscilla
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Priscilla Presley’s former business associate - who was sued previously by Elvis Presley's ex-wife- has been accused of selling questionable memorabilia of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Just a day after Priscilla, 79, accused the owner of GWS Auctions of financially abusing her, Elvis’ estate Graceland has questioned the owner regarding the authenticity of the items they have sold.
On Thursday, July 18, Priscilla alleged that the owner of GWS Auctions - Brigitte Kruse - was financially abusing her.
Graceland questions authenticity of memorabilia
According to a new report published on Friday, July 19, Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, has raised questions regarding the authenticity of the items sold by GWS Auctions.
In an interview with NBC News, Weinshanker said that he first became suspicious of the auction house's items when he saw a black grommet jacket, said to be worn by Elvis in 1972, go up for sale, per People.
He revealed that the original jacket, made exclusively for Elvis, is, however, kept in Graceland’s private collection.
He added, "We know there was only one made, and guess what? We have it in our archives.”
The outlet even confirmed the jacket is still hanging there and were shown the receipts.
Weinshanker explained that the late singer's father kept the receipts from his earlier days, thus the estate managers are now able to access them.
He said, "Because he had some trouble with the law early on in his adult life, he kept everything, every receipt," before adding about Elvis' father Vernon, "You come to us and say, 'What did [Elvis] do on this day in 1962?' We pretty much know what he did just by how he spent money."
The auction house has previously listed several items related to the 'Jailhouse Rock’ singer, including pieces of Elvis' jewelry and even his plane, a red 1962 Lockheed Jetstar.
Priscilla Presley sues her business partners
Just a day before Joel Weinshanker’s bombshell claims, Priscilla Presley sued four of her former business associates after alleging they duped her of almost $1 million.
She said that they took advantage of her old age. Previously, in an interview with People in 2021, she defended her decision to get involved with the group after meeting them in an auction house.
She shared, "I thought, 'Why not be a part of it?' I used to have a different opinion about these estate sales, but then as I got older I realized that you have to pass these things down to someone who'll really appreciate them."
Even Kruse, who previously sued Priscilla in February 2024 for not splitting the profit made from selling the memorabilia, praised Priscilla in glorified words.
She said, "She's just such a wealth of experience and knowledge. You don't study and learn about Elvis without learning about Priscilla as well. Their names are synonymous."
Elvis and Priscilla married in 1967 and divorced in 1973. Lisa Marie Presley was their only child.
