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Elvis Presley’s Autopsy Secret—The Bathroom Tragedy That Revealed What Really Killed the ‘King of Rock & Roll’

Published on: February 2, 2025 at 4:16 PM ET
Vaishnavi Shetye
Written By Vaishnavi Shetye
News Writer
Elvis Presley performing
Elvis Presley performing 'If I Can Dream' in 1968 during his comeback special. (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Elvis Presley)

Elvis Presley was one of the most revered stars of his generation. The star’s tragic death shocked not only his fans but the rest of the world. The star was only 42 years old when he was pronounced dead.

Elvis was born in the town of Tupelo, Mississippi on 8 January 1935. He started his music career when he was 19 at Sun Records in 1954. He gained unparalleled fame and is to date known as the King of Rock and Roll.

He also acted in several hit movies. The star debuted in the 1956 movie titled Love Me Tender. Elvis is one of the best-selling artists of all time, the musician sold 500 million records to over a billion to date.

The musician was also married to American actress Priscilla Presley from 1967-1973. The two shared a daughter called Lisa Marie Presley, who they welcomed in 1968.

Elvis was declared to be dead after he passed away on his bathroom floor in his Tennessee mansion. Dan Warlick who oversaw the star’s autopsy later revealed that the star had passed away in the bathroom.

“Presley’s chronic constipation – the result of years of prescription drug abuse and high-fat, high-cholesterol gorging – brought on what’s known as Valsalva’s maneuver. Put simply, the strain of attempting to defecate compressed the singer’s abdominal aorta, shutting down his heart,” Warlick shared.

Rumours during the time of the singer’s death stated that he had died after overdosing on prescription medication. Joseph Davis who was a coroner debunked the rumour by arguing strongly that the star had not died from a drug overdose.

“The position of Elvis Presley’s body was such that he was about to sit down on the commode when the seizure occurred,” Joseph revealed. The coroner also revealed that the star was dead before he even hit the ground.

Davis explained that if the star had overdosed on drugs he would have slipped into an “increasing state of slumber.” The coroner added, “He would have pulled up his pyjama bottoms and crawled to the door to seek help. It takes hours to die from drugs.”

Fans of the late star had been worried about his deteriorating health for months before he passed away. Elvis had gained a lot of weight and suffered from severe constipation and paranoia. The musician frequently abused drugs like amphetamines, opioids, and sedatives. He was exposed to these when he was only a teenager.

Presley also suffered from multiple health problems leading up to his demise. Vertigo, eye infections, headaches, insomnia, and back pain were some of them. The star had a health scare when he was brought into the hospital in 1973. He had gone into a semi-coma and was later diagnosed with jaundice.

The jaundice lead him to have respiratory issues, hepatitis, and a bleeding gastric ulcer. In 1975, Elvis found himself in the hospital again due to raised blood pressure and high cholesterol. He was later diagnosed with a health condition named Megacolon. The star also suffered from emphysema later in life.

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