Lisa Marie Presley: Why Elvis’ Daughter Is Shunned by Church of Scientology

Lisa Marie Presley has reportedly fallen on hard times after years of drug abuse and custody struggles. It has gotten to the point where mother Priscilla Presley put her mansion up for sale to aid her daughter and stand by her side.

But the daughter of Elvis Presley has had quite the winding path through life to get her to this point. One interesting aspect is her connection to the Church of Scientology, a connection that has caused some trouble for the singer in recent years according to RadarOnline.

Much like former Scientologist Leah Remini, Presley was brought into the church by her mother in 1977. Both mother and daughter were members of the group for decades, taking a charge into a battle for literacy alongside fellow Scientologist Isaac Hayes. The pair of Memphis natives joined forces for the LEAP or Literacy, Education, and Ability Program affiliated with the church.

Throughout the early 2000s, Presley was a vocal member of the church, even testifying in Congress about ADHD medication and her push for literacy. But by 2016, Presley had defected from the church and her mother followed one year later.

“I was slowly starting to self-destruct. They were taking my soul, my money, my everything,’ Lisa Marie Presley said at the time. “I’ve had enough. I’m done.”

Metro adds that leaving Scientology was a family decision and both were “very close” at the time.

The exit from Scientology earned both Lisa Marie and her mother the title of “suppressive person” according to RadarOnline. This means that members, even family members still in the church, cut off all contact from a person.

This seems to be a disputed idea though, because Lisa Marie Presley still has a close relationship with her daughter, Riley Keough, who remains a member of the Church of Scientology alongside her father, Danny Keough.

According to RadarOnline, Riley Keough is trying to get her mother reinstated inside the church and welcome her 10-year-old half-sisters, twins Finley and Harper.

“Riley is annoyed because she can’t be associated with a ‘suppressive person,’ and she’s desperate to work her way up the church ranks,” an insider told RadarOnline. “She doesn’t want to cut her mother off, so she’s speaking to church leaders.”

While she left the church with her daughter, Priscilla Presley still practices the religion according to RadarOnline.

But for Lisa Marie Presley, her path after leaving the church has caused more trouble for the controversial religion. One of the main sticking points is her connection to Remini. According to Page Six, the pair were once good friends and “grew up together.” They have since come to odds with each other, mostly due to Remini’s crusade against Scientology.

“Lisa Marie has been going through a hard time in her life and has been battling addiction, and Leah tried to convince Lisa to leave Scientology and join her in trying to bring the church down,” a source told Page Six. “Once Lisa got sober and started turning her life around, she started to believe Leah’s actions were dangerous. She felt she was being manipulated.”

Remini’s show and efforts against the church reportedly had a negative impact on Lisa Marie and her family. Enough that Presley allegedly freaked out and has turned her back on her former friend.

The connection to Scientology is only one of the few sticking points in Lisa Marie Presley’s life. If anything, it shows you the layers of complications that have amassed for the daughter of Elvis Presley.