What Happened To Ginger Alden, Elvis Presley's Former Fiancee?
The love story of Elvis and Priscilla Presley is well documented, but it was Presley's last fiancee Ginger Alden who spent his final moments with him. Since Presley's death, Alden has mostly stayed out of the spotlight aside from releasing a book in 2014 and conducting the occasional interview. A former actor, the pair met when Alden's sister Terry was invited to Graceland to meet Presley and took her along to feel less awkward. In Alden's own words, she was instantly smitten, telling fan club Elvis Australia, "I know this sounds funny but when Elvis entered the room, I thought trumpets would sound. He looked so handsome."
The pair began dating in November 1976. Alden had just turned 20 years old, making Presley 21 years her senior. They dated for only two months before becoming engaged, but their whirlwind romance came to an abrupt end when Presley passed away in 1977 at the age of 42. Still only 20 years old, Alden was the one to find him dead. Since then, Alden has kept a relatively low profile.
She dabbled in the entertainment industry
Ginger Alden dabbled in acting throughout the 1980s. In 1980, she played Lady Grey in a film of the same name, and she had a few more roles across the next decade, including Meredith Ross in "Capitol." Her last recorded role was in 1990 in a television series called "Life Goes On." But her most controversial role was her first.
Following Elvis Presley's untimely death, the former actor faced adversity from his family, including his uncle Vester Presley. As reported by Express, this tension only grew when she starred in a 1980 film titled "Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll," a thinly veiled tale about a rock star who abused prescription drugs. This faux pas not only drove Presley's family to think even worse of Alden, but it also might have caused her to be barred from entering Graceland.
The King's family was distrustful of Ginger Alden
Per Express, Elvis Presley's father, Vernon Presley, seemed relatively neutral towards Ginger Alden. "I never got to know Ginger Alden well," he shared. "She's not much of a talker, but a while back Elvis told me he'd fallen in love with her. 'This is the love I've been searching for,' he said. 'I want more children, a son. And I want Ginger to be my children's mother.'" However, the outlet also said Vernon suggested the King might have changed his mind about marriage.
Nevertheless, Presley's uncle, Vester Presley, heavily disliked Alden. "Ginger Alden is dead now as far as the family is concerned. We don't even recognize her as a human being. She couldn't get in here [Graceland] on her own to save her life. She's barred from inside the house," he stated, per Express. "She can go to the grave by calling and asking. Any time she comes to this gate I've got to call Vernon and okay it. We're not interested in her. She took advantage of Elvis' name."
Alden's father heavily disputed Vester's claims, saying that his daughter would have preferred to maintain a close relationship with Presley's family, implying the singer would be shocked at how she was being treated.
She revealed never-before-heard details in her book
In 2014, almost 40 years after Elvis Presley's death, Alden released a book titled "Elvis & Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiancee and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story." In it, she revealed that the purpose of the book was to "set the record straight" about her relationship with Presley and to share stories that the public may not have heard. Nevertheless, going by the stories Alden tells in 'Elvis and Ginger," her relationship with the King of Rock 'n' Roll wasn't always a fairytale.
Per the Daily Mail, Alden mentioned some alarming details within the memoir. One such detail is that Presley not only hit her once, but also used a firearm several times in the home. Moreover, not only could he be painfully passive-aggressive, but Presley even hurled a dish of ice cream when Alden brought up the topic of calories. Despite these details, it's clear that the overall message of the memoir is that she accepted and loved Presley fully for who he was in the final months of his life.
She later reminisced about the Presleys in a series of posts
In a Facebook post from August 2023, Ginger Alden reflected on her relationship with Elvis Presley. "I loved him deeply, knew he felt the same, took care of him, pampered and tried to understand him as complex as I learned he could be," the former actor wrote. She also mentioned that she wouldn't change anything about their relationship and said she felt "God placed us" where they needed to be. It wasn't just Elvis that Alden cared for, either. After Lisa Marie Presley tragically passed away in 2023, Alden spoke about their relationship.
"My time with Lisa Marie was unique for me and special. I grew to care deeply for her and felt the same from her. We didn't have years together but it was quality time spent for sure when she visited Elvis and me at Graceland as a young child in 77 and was able to join us on some tours and visit with me at my family home," she wrote in another Facebook post. "I truly wish we could have spoken later in life as I am sure she had many questions. May you rest in peace Lisa. You were loved and will be deeply missed." From these posts, it's clear that, short as it was, Alden cherished the time she had with both Elvis and his daughter.