Florida Attorney Actress Carolyn Coates has been charged with conspiring with memorabilia auctioneer Bridget Cross to swindle Priscilla Presley out of more than $1 million in an alleged elder abuse scheme, but she has broken her silence to claim she did not breach her duty to the author, actress and former wife of Elvis Presley.
In new court files obtained by Rolling StoneAttorney Lynn Walker-Wright says she “vehemently denies” that Presley was tricked into signing a series of legal documents that Presley claims were so “unfair” and damaging to her financial interests that they are “legally unenforceable.” Walker-Wright acknowledges that she represented Cross in a separate legal matter before she represented Presley at the July 2023 document-signing meeting at the heart of the case — where Cross was an opposing party in the negotiations — but Walker-Wright insists there was no conflict of interest. The attorney also defends her decision to videotape her client, Presley, at the meeting.
“I recorded Ms. Presley’s meeting with me and her execution of all Florida documents that I prepared with her consent. I explained each document during the meeting and answered all questions she asked,” Walker-Wright said in her new affidavit. “I have recorded other clients executing estate planning and other documents in the past if I had any concerns that a document could be challenged later.”
In her announcement, Walker-Wright said that Presley, 79, had agreed to the recording and that the disputed documents were reviewed by another California law firm that had worked for Presley. Walker-Wright also said she had rescheduled the signing twice to accommodate Presley’s schedule. She said the meeting finally took place the day after Presley had dinner with former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, at Mar-a-Lago and just hours before Presley was due to return to California for the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, the awards show where Austin Butler won best actor for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann’s film. Facebook Biography, and Presley would see her daughter, Lisa Marie, one last time before her unexpected death days later.
Walker-Wright filed her plea as part of a new motion asking a Los Angeles County judge to dismiss claims against her in an elder abuse lawsuit that Presley filed against her and Cross, as well as Cross’s husband and another business partner, in July. Walker-Wright claims that she has never lived or worked in California, so Presley should not be allowed to sue her in the Golden State.
In her main lawsuit, Presley alleges that Cross is a “pathological liar and fraudulent con artist” who fraudulently induced her to establish several companies that Cross headed. The companies’ contracts granted Presley only minority shares in the ventures—only 20 percent in at least one case—even though Cross had the exclusive license to profit from Presley’s name, image and likeness.
Presley has not commented on the legal war outside of her filings. A source close to the Dallas The star says Rolling Stone She has been “going through hell” over the past year as she struggles to free herself from the disputed deals. “Priscilla is one of the nicest people, she's a very sweet and trustworthy woman,” the source says.
Presley sued her for elder abuse two months ago after Cross filed a separate lawsuit against her for breach of contract in Florida last year. Cross alleged in her lawsuit that Presley illegally abandoned their agreement when her financial circumstances changed in the wake of Lisa Marie's death. Rolling Stone Previously, Presley initially challenged a 2016 amendment to her daughter's Promenade Trust that removed her as a co-trustee, but quickly reached a generous settlement with her granddaughter Riley Keough that gave her a $1 million lump sum, a $100,000 annual stipend, and burial rights near Elvis at Graceland.
Kroos did not personally respond. Rolling StoneCruz sent a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. Her Florida case hit a potential snag Tuesday when a judge agreed to allow her attorney, Jeffrey Gilbert, to withdraw from the case over alleged “irreconcilable” differences. Cruz’s new attorney, Kevin A. Reck, says, Rolling Stone Pressley said he and his clients “look forward to defending our rights in these legal proceedings.” He said Gilbert was “replaced” in the Orland case “in an effort to better align with the plaintiffs’ overall litigation strategy.” A hearing on Pressley’s motion to dismiss the Florida lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction is scheduled for November.
Meanwhile, Walker Wright’s motion to dismiss the Los Angeles lawsuit is scheduled for Nov. 21. The judge hearing the case recently granted Pressley an extension of the deadline to file the California complaint with Cross. Pressley’s lawyers have alleged in the filing that Cross and her husband are “evading duty for no legitimate purpose other than to avoid liability in this lawsuit.” In an emailed response, Cross’s lawyer denied that his client was evading duty. “As for the outrageous allegations of willful evasion, these baseless allegations are categorically denied,” Rick said.
