Priscilla Presley GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP through Getty Pictures
Priscilla Presley‘s former enterprise associate, Brigitte Kruse, has responded to her allegations of monetary elder abuse.
Kruse issued a press release to Us Weekly on Monday, January 22, rejecting the claims as “retaliatory” within the lawsuit filed by Presley’s lawyer, Marty Singer, 4 days earlier.
“We’re assured that the info will communicate for themselves and justice will prevail,” Kruse acknowledged. “It saddens all of us who dropped our lives to offer assist to a lady who wanted assist and she or he is now trying to make use of her movie star standing to spoil the lives of variety, hardworking folks. Thanks to all of our supporters who’ve stood by us throughout this troublesome time. We are going to proceed to concentrate on our enterprise and stay up for our day in court docket. The reality will come out by means of proof and never rumors. There shall be no additional remark at the moment as we respect the judicial course of.”
Us has reached out to Presley’s authorized workforce for remark.
On Thursday, July 18, Presley, 79, sued 4 enterprise associates, together with Kruse, for 12 totally different complaints, together with monetary elder abuse. Singer claimed they deliberate to “drain her of each final penny she had” and had “meticulously” orchestrated a scheme in opposition to “an older girl by gaining her belief, isolating her from an important folks in her life, and duping her into believing that they might maintain her” each personally and financially.”
Singer additional alleged that the defendants aimed to realize management of Presley’s funds and “[force] her right into a type of indentured servitude” the place she would work, and they’d “obtain the lion’s share of any income that she was capable of earn sooner or later.”
Courtroom paperwork obtained by Us referred to Kruse particularly as a “con artist and pathological liar” who, together with defendant Kevin Fialko, “misappropriated, [embezzled] and transformed” greater than $1 million from Presley. Additional claims acknowledged that they “fraudulently” had Presley “signal contracts” to obtain 80 p.c of her earnings.
Based on the swimsuit, Kruse ran a enterprise promoting Elvis Presley memorabilia and met Presley, the late music legend’s ex-wife, in 2021. (Kruse owns California-based GWS Auctions, now underneath scrutiny over the authenticity of its Elvis-related memorabilia.)
The place a music legend as soon as known as residence. Elvis Presley laid down roots and made plenty of historical past on the well-known Memphis, Tennessee mansion. The late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll bought the property dubbed Graceland in 1957, one yr after his profession began to take off. On the time of shopping for the house, Elvis […]
Presley co-founded Elvis Presley Enterprises and has helped run the multi-million greenback enterprise empire associated to Elvis’ property. In February, Kruse and Fialko sued her for breach of contract — a declare Singer denied on Presley’s behalf.
The lawyer claimed within the July 18 swimsuit that the defendants “established a private relationship with Presley that enabled them to realize her full belief and isolate her from her long-time enterprise and monetary advisors.” He additionally alleged that they gained “energy of lawyer, management over her household and private trusts, and management over her financial institution accounts.” Kruse and Fialko tried to “falsely painting themselves because the victims” with the preliminary swimsuit after “their scheme had been uncovered,” the paperwork learn.
Presley is searching for a jury trial and $1 million in damages plus lawyer charges.