Introduction
Elvis Presley: Shocking Revelation from Cousin Gene Smith – “That Wasn’t Elvis in the Casket”
Since August 16, 1977—the official date of Elvis Presley’s reported death—thousands of fans from around the world flocked to Graceland to bid farewell to the King of Rock & Roll. In a solemn atmosphere, Elvis’s body was placed in an open casket for public viewing. However, no cameras were allowed inside, by order of the Presley estate. All that remained were the memories of those closest to him—and among them, the words of his cousin Gene Smith have continued to shock the world.
Gene Smith, who was very close to Elvis since childhood, was present on that final day to say goodbye to his beloved cousin. But in that very moment, Gene felt something wasn’t right. In an interview shared on YouTube, he described in detail the eerie doubts he experienced: “I looked closely at his hands… Elvis always had rough, calloused hands from training, breaking bricks with his bare hands. But the hands in the casket were as smooth as a newborn baby’s.”
It wasn’t just the hands. Gene also noticed oddities about the hairline, which appeared to be a glued-on hairpiece. The right sideburn was even “sticking straight out,” something completely uncharacteristic of how Elvis usually looked. He admitted, “I just didn’t believe it was him.”
This testimony from someone who saw Elvis daily added fuel to the lingering conspiracy theories: Elvis never really died. Could he have faked his death to escape the pressures of fame and reclaim the freedom he always longed for?
Whatever the truth may be, Gene Smith’s lingering doubts help keep the legend of Elvis Presley alive—not only through his music, but also through the enduring mystery that continues to captivate fans around the world.