Cailee Spainey talks Priscilla’s ‘nuanced’ relationship with Elvis at 14

Cailey Spaeny has a hot take about Priscilla and Elvis’ controversial relationship.

Speaking to Page Six at the 2023 Gotham Awards on Monday, Spaeny, 25, steered clear of using the “G” word when asked about Priscilla’s portrayal of the relationship.

“I think what we were trying to do [with the movie] is put a human story that is nuanced and complicated on screen,” the emerging actress noted, having portrayed Priscilla in the 2023 biographical drama based on Priscilla’s life.

“And I think, you know, it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of space for these complicated stories and to get to tell that through Priscilla’s life,” she further explained.

The complicated story that Spaeny referred to was that of the highly-scrutinised relationship and marriage between the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the air force brat from Brooklyn, who met when she was only 14 years old.

Though their age gap has been the subject of a lot of criticism, Spaeny emphasized that it “was exciting” that Sofia Coppola’s biopic portrayed a narrative that encouraged viewers to “decide how they feel about it” themselves.

Meanwhile, the real-life Priscilla, 78, has previously defended her late husband against the “grooming” allegations.

Speaking to Piers Morgan last month, the businesswoman emphasized that “it was a different time” and that she never perceived Elvis’ grand gestures as him “grooming” her.