Elvis Presley is often characterized as having just one child, Lisa Marie Presley, who died on January 12, 2023, at age 54. Following Lisa Marie's death, a woman named Deborah Presley Brando, who says she's Elvis' eldest child, released a statement.
"When I received the call that my biological sister, Lisa Marie Presley, was rushed to the hospital, I felt a need — a pull — to go to her," Deborah said at the time, as per a press release shared by Edward Lozzi. "Love is the most important thing in this life. I did not allow the Hollywood myth to stop me from making my final attempt to let Lisa Marie know how much she meant to me. She is my family."
So who is Deborah Presley Brando — and is she actually Elvis' daughter?
In the press release, Deborah asserted that "a myth of delusion has been created" because of Elvis' "never-ending fame."
Deborah claimed that Lisa Marie was not Elvis' only daughter; instead, she was "the only child of Elvis who was publicly acknowledged."
More from LittleThings: John Wayne Bobbitt, Man Whose Penis Was Cut Off By His Wife, Has Had All Toes Amputated
"He had other children. As far as I know, I am the eldest," Deborah shared, noting that she was "conceived in 1955."
Deborah alleged that fame contributed to Lisa Marie's death, and also caused Elvis' alleged other children to be "disregarded and dismissed."
"My sister is the latest casualty of the hollow shadow of fame," she shared in January 2023. "No one seemed to care that she was literally being propped up. It hurt me to know and see that my sister was in so much pain."
In January 2024, Edward Lozzi shared that Deborah had published a book about her life, writing that it provides readers with "an intimate look into her life as the firstborn daughter of music legend Elvis Presley."
The memoir is titled Autobiography: Memoirs of a Starseed Child, Elvis, Marlon, Christian and Me.
According to PresLaw.info, Deborah was previously married to Christian Brando, the son of Oscar-winning actor Marlon Brando. The site also shared that in 1988, Deborah tried to get a share of Elvis' estate, claiming to be his "illegitimate daughter." Elvis died in 1977.
The case did not address whether or not Deborah is actually Elvis' daughter. The defendants said that according to Elvis' will, only children born to Elvis during a lawful marriage were entitled to an inheritance. Since an "illegitimate daughter" wouldn't be entitled to an inheritance, the court didn't need to determine whether or not Deborah is truly Elvis' daughter.
Deborah seems to still be involved with the Presley family, at least a little bit. The New York Post recently reported that Deborah surprised Elvis ex-wife Priscilla Presley by showing up at her book signing unexpectedly.
