In 1994, the King of Pop married the heir to the rock ‘n’ roll kingdom, and the two great houses of modern music were reunited – albeit for a brief, bizarre stint.
The relationship between Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley — the only child of The King himself, Elvis Presley — went through Jackson’s child molestation charges and a shotgun nuptials in the Dominican Republic, included one of TV’s most embarrassing kisses and MTV’s weirdest music videos, and was it by skeptics pursued until it dissolved in divorce in 1996.
The couple met when Presley was a child and a lover of Jackson’s music, but she didn’t become his mistress until they met again almost two decades later.
Many accused the couple of marrying to distract the world from the scathing allegations against Jackson, but the couple always maintained their authenticity, with Presley insisting Jackson was haunted by their breakup until his death.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson visit Versailles, France in 1994
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson kiss onstage at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards
Presley was a Jackson 5 fanatic as a child, and at the age of seven her father took her backstage to one of Jackson’s concerts to meet the singer himself.
A Jackson’s employee told People magazine in 1994 that Presley “has known Michael most of her life” and that the two “kept in touch” after they first met.
Their friendship was rekindled in 1992 after they met again in Los Angeles. Presley was married to musician Danny Keough at the time, with whom she had two children.
When Jackson was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler in 1993, he and Presley spoke regularly on the phone and she became his system of support during the investigation and their public relations.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson at Budapest Airport in August 1994
Michael Jackson welcomes guests to the MTV Video Music Awards with Lisa Presley
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson kissed their lips at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards
During one of those phone calls, Jackson reportedly asked Presley if she would marry him if he asked.
“Michael appreciated Lisa’s calming effect so much that he asked a question during their phone call that surprised them both,” wrote biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli. “If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?” … Without missing a beat, she replied, “I would,” he wrote.
Presley’s six-year marriage to Keough was crumbling at this time, and months later, in May 1994, she and Jackson flew to the Dominican Republic to escape the press and flee.
There, Presley filed for a quick divorce from Keough, and she and Jackson were married in a 15-minute ceremony. They both wore black and Jackson wore a cowboy hat and bolo tie.
Ichael Jackson and his wife Lisa Marie Presley with children in Budapest in August 1994
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley at Neverland Ranch before the 1995 Children’s World Summit
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson at Versailles in September 1994
The couple kept their marriage a secret throughout the summer as rumors swirled, until Presley finally confirmed it in a statement in August.
“My married name is Mrs. Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson. My marriage to Michael Jackson took place weeks ago in a private ceremony outside of the United States,” she said.
“I’m very much in love with Michael. I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him. We are both looking forward to starting a family.”
A month later, she and Jackson opened the MTV Video Music Awards together. As he walked onto the stage hand in hand, Jackson paused to let the crowd’s cheers die down.
“Welcome to the MTV Video Music Awards,” he said. He then waited a moment for the applause to die down and said no to Presley, “I’m so glad to be here. Just think, no one thought this would last.’
He then planted a small kiss on his wife’s lips and pulled her to him as the crowd went wild. Then they left the stage.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson walk the streets of Budapest together during a trip
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson hold a baby during a trip to Budapest in 1994
As the couple continued to appear publicly together in 1994 and 1995, rumors began to circulate that they had not had sex together.
They addressed the whisper in June 1995 during an interview with Diane Sawyer.
‘Are we having sex?’ said Presley and together she and Jackson shouted, “Yes! Yes! Yes!’ They added that they intended to have children together.
As if to emphasize their sexual attitude, Jackson released the music video for You Are Not Alone a month later, in which he and Presley were making out in a desert temple, soaking wet and naked.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson on the cover of the National Inquirer in 1994
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson at the 1995 MTV Music Video Awards
Rumors about the state of their marriage haunted the couple throughout 1995 and finally came to fruition when they split in December of that year.
A month later, Presley filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Despite this, the two attempted to reconcile in the late ’90s, with Presley at times traveling the world to be with Jackson and the couple occasionally dating during Jackson’s world tours.
Jackson eventually married nurse Debbie Rowe – with whom he would have two children before their divorce in 2000 – in 1996 and Presley married actor Nicholas Cage in 2002.
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson hug Mickey and Minnie Mouse in 1994
Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson divorced in January 1996
In 2003, Presley told Rolling Stone that she was drawn into the relationship with Jackson because she wanted to save him during his initial child molestation charges.
“You get sucked into the ‘You poor misunderstood person, you…’ I’m a sucker for that,” she said. “I got into this whole ‘I’ll save you’ thing.”
Speaking to Oprah after Jackson’s death, she said caring for Jackson was one of the “highest points” of her life.
“I loved taking care of him,” she said. “It was one of the highlights of my life when things were going really well and he and I were united. It was a very profound time in my life.’