When Priscilla met with her husband to tell him about the affair, it was in his hotel suite, with him seemingly noticing a change of sorts in his wife.
His response to what she had to say was troubling. Priscilla said he forcefully made love to her and stated that this is how a “real man” takes his woman. Priscilla later retracted the allegations in an interview, regretting her choice of words.
Prioritizing
Priscilla began to realize that she wasn’t a priority in her husband’s life. "My life was his life," she said in a 1978 interview with People Magazine. "My problems were secondary."
At the time, Elvis was known for being a fan or karate, often taking lessons as a hobby. When he suggested that Priscilla take up the sport to dull her restlessness while he was on tour, she jumped at the chance, hoping it would fix things. Little did she know, it would ultimately lead to the end of her marriage.
Karate
After meeting martial artist Mike Stone backstage at one of Elvis’ concerts in 1972, she began taking lessons with him. Her new hobby, however, soon developed into an affair.
Priscilla still had loving feelings for Elvis when she and Stone were having their affair. Still, a few months into that affair, she chose to tell Elvis about it and leave him for Stone.
Priscilla Explains Her Allegations
Priscilla explained her statement accusing Elvis of forcing her to sleep with him in an interview. She said that she was most hurt by Elvis's lack of sensitivity to her as a woman and his reconciliation attempt which was too late.
She excused Elvis’s actions as him trying to make up for not showing any sexual interest towards her after giving birth to their daughter. Priscilla later recognized how their lack of intimacy affected her, writing in her book that she felt that her physical and emotional needs were unfulfilled.
Filing for Divorce
Priscilla and Elvis separated in February of 1972, and she later filed for divorce that July. In a 2016 interview, Priscilla stated, that at the time of the separation, she was still in love with him, but also felt like she had to explore the world.
Priscilla ultimately wound up with a lump sum of $725,000. (About $4.2 million today.) She also received spousal support, child support, a small percentage of the earnings from Elvis' publishing companies, and half of the sum earned from the sale of their Beverly Hills home. While Priscilla was willing to accept far less, her lawyers convinced her to ask for more.