In a nostalgic twist of fate, Priscilla Presley and Nigel Lythgoe were spotted leaving a dinner date in Malibu this past Wednesday evening. The former couple, who once shared a romantic chapter, seemed to be enjoying each other’s company once again.
At 80 years old, Priscilla Presley, the former wife of the legendary Elvis Presley, looked elegant and timeless. She wore a stylish black blouse featuring sheer sleeves, paired with wide-legged black slacks, exuding an aura of sophistication. Meanwhile, Nigel Lythgoe, the renowned producer of “American Idol,” opted for a more laid-back look. The 75-year-old sported a graphic t-shirt, jeans, and a crisp white sports coat, embodying casual charm.
The pair’s history dates back to 2006 when they began dating after meeting during the filming of “American Idol” at Graceland. Their romance spanned three years until 2009, a time marked by mutual support as both were navigating personal transitions. In a revealing 2011 interview, Lythgoe shared that he had recently parted ways with his ex-wife, Bonnie Lythgoe, while Priscilla had just ended a relationship. He fondly recalled that although he may have needed therapy during that period, sharing dinners with Priscilla was a delightful alternative.
Priscilla and Nigel dated from 2006 to 2009 after meeting while American Idol was being filmed at Graceland.
According to a 2011 interview with Lythgoe, Priscilla had recently broken up with her boyfriend and he freshly separated from his now ex-wife Bonne Lythgoe.
He said he really needed therapy, but having dinners with Priscilla was more enjoyable.
Former flames Priscilla Presley and Nigel Lythgoe, 75, were seen exiting a dinner date in Malibu on Wednesday evening
The producer gave his ex a warm huge while in the parking lot
‘She was just finishing a relationship,’ the So You Think You Can Dance host told the Daily Mail in 2011. ‘She got me through a lot. The divorce devastated me.’
He added: ‘I tried a therapist but it didn’t work for me. It was easier to go out to dinners with Priscilla. We had many nights of talking.’
‘The divorce devastated me. I hadn’t necessarily been a good boy through the 34 years,’ he said.
‘We’d had our ups and downs – other relationships. But we stuck together. After 34 years I guess I didn’t think we’d ever split up. It was terribly, terribly hard.’
And it seems that Priscilla and Nigel were not intimate with each other while they dated. ‘I don’t have to sleep with all my girlfriends,’ he said.
‘I can’t because two of them wouldn’t like to know about the other one. I believe a good sex life makes you healthy, but I don’t think I can pin myself down to one person at the moment.’
Lythgoe got the name ‘Nasty Nigel’ after he devastated a contestant while he was a judge on the series Pop Stars.
He told told contestant Kym Marsh: ‘Christmas may be gone but I see the goose is still fat,’ causing her to cry.
Elvis Presley’s former wife looked lovely at 80-years-old in a black blouse with sheer sleeves and wide-legged black slacks
Priscilla and Nigel dated from 2006 to 2009 after meeting while American Idol was being filmed at Graceland
Meanwhile, Priscilla is embroiled in an ongoing elder abuse lawsuit in which she claims her business partners stole $1million from her.
In the latest move in the case against Brigitte Kruse, Kevin Fialko, Vahe Sislyan and Lynn Walker Wright, Priscilla won the right to have the proceedings heard in California rather than Florida
Priscilla’s latest nightmare allegedly began when she met Kruse, who ran a business selling Elvis memorabilia through an auction house, the filing claimed.
She claimed Kruse convinced her to discard her former financial advisors who they said were ‘deceitful and incompetent’, before allegedly convincing her to sign contracts and form companies under her name.
But under this guise, Priscilla was allegedly signing away 80 percent of her income to Kruse and her associates.
Priscilla claimed the group left her with minority shares in companies they created which profited off her ‘name, image and likeness’. The lawsuit also names Priscilla Presley Partners, LLC.
The lawsuit alleges $500,000 in funds from the 2023 biopic Priscilla, which starred Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny, was also misappropriated and branded Kruse a ‘con artist and pathological liar’.
Priscilla also claimed the group ‘torpedoed’ a deal for the star to get an ownership interest in Cilla cosmetics company, but instead settled for $300,000, which allegedly went straight into their bank accounts.
In the most recent filing, Priscilla revealed the jaw-dropping amount the group is said to have stolen from her – more than $1million from ’34 paid appearances worldwide’ that were collected in just a year.
He said he really needed therapy after his divorce, but having dinners with Priscilla was more enjoyable. Seen here in 2021
Seen in 2013 at the Stars Under The Stars: An Evening in Los Angeles
Priscilla, who divorced Elvis in 1973, four years before his death, also alleged that Kruse and her associates had begun a ‘barraging’ campaign against her ‘contractual partners, associates, personal assistants and family members’ with cease and desist letters in an attempt to stop them from doing business with her.
Florida-based Kruse, who auctioned multiple Elvis-owned items including the gun he bought in 1973 after he was attacked onstage, has also taken her own measures against Priscilla with a lawsuit filed in February for breach of contract.
According to the memorabilia dealer, she was Priscilla’s financial savior, swooping in when she was ’60 days away from financial collapse’ and had outstanding tax debts of $700,000.
