Why Priscilla Presley Wouldn't Listen To Elvis' Music Around Ex Marco Garibaldi

Priscilla Presley famously had a close relationship with Elvis Presley, long after their divorce — so what stopped her from playing his music around the house while she was in a relationship with Marco Garibaldi? 

Though Priscilla's marriage to Elvis is undoubtedly her best-known relationship, she would go on to spend many more years with her former boyfriend, producer Marco Garibaldi. Priscilla and the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" director were together for over 20 years, and even became parents during their relationship to son Navarone Garibaldi. During their time together as a family unit, it certainly seemed as though they had a pretty low-key life. After all, even if Marco was involved in showbiz, his was more of a behind-the-scenes role than, well, the King of Rock and Roll.

That's not to say he wasn't involved in Elvis' legacy, though. According to The Hollywood Reporter, during his relationship with Priscilla, Marco had played a role in the merchandising side of the late Elvis' Graceland estate. However, despite that, Navarone revealed to People in 2023 that his mother's ex-husband's music was never played around the house when he was a kid. So, what stopped Priscilla from putting those records on?

Speaking to People in February 2023, Navarone Garibaldi shared that Elvis Presley songs hadn't been a major fixture during his early years — and he believed his father had something to do with it. As he explained to the outlet, "It wasn't until after [Marco Garibaldi] left that my mom started playing his music again freely."

As for what might have contributed to that, Navarone mused that there may have been some insecurity on his father's part. "I think my dad had a bit of a complex about it," he shared. It's worth noting that, at the time of the interview, Navarone had been estranged from his father for several years. However, if Marco did indeed have a hang-up over Elvis, it certainly would make sense if Priscilla opted to keep that part of her life to herself. After all, according to Jerry Oppenheimer's book, "The Kardashians: An American Drama," part of the reason her previous relationship with Robert Kardashian ended was because of Elvis' constant presence in her life (via the Daily Mail).

Marco Garibaldi has yet to address his son's claims himself. However, given that he's said to have a written agreement with Priscilla that prevents him from writing a book about Priscilla and his time with her (via the Daily Mail), we're not exactly expecting him to give a comment anytime soon.  

While Priscilla Presley hasn't addressed her son's concerns over the music she played at their home, she has been pretty open about not wanting her legendary ex-husband's legacy to become a burden to either of her children. 

Speaking to The Guardian, she explained, "We have never been, 'Elvis this, Elvis that,' to our children, because otherwise, you're building up something that is almost unreachable for them." In the same interview, she added that Navarone Garibaldi had also had a famous older half-sister to contend with. However, she added that she was proud to say he hadn't felt a need to compete with Lisa Marie Presley, either. "He's not riding on Elvis, and he's not riding on Lisa," she gushed. It's also no secret that Priscilla was determined to keep her kids down to earth. As Lisa Marie explained in an interview with Stina Dabrowksi, "My mother was very level-headed and very set on me being level-headed." That meant making a point of countering the indulgences her father showered on her — and though Navarone wasn't exposed to the same lifestyle as Lisa Marie was, it's likely Priscilla had a similar approach with her second child years later. 

So, what stopped Priscilla from playing Elvis' music around the house while she was with Marco Garibaldi? Whether it had anything to do with Marco, or was more for Navarone's benefit, mitigating pressure certainly had a lot to do with it.