Elvis Presley’s secret autopsy report, which has been sealed for 50 years at the request of his family, is set to finally be made public.
The King of Rock and Roll, known for hits like ‘Hound Dog’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’, remains a legend in the music industry – decades after his untimely death on August 16, 1977.
But as much as he’s celebrated, the mystery surrounding his passing has sparked endless conspiracy theories since his death.
At just 42 years old, Presley was found on the bathroom floor of his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee, PEOPLE reports.
The shocking news sent waves of grief across the world. However, it wasn’t long before questions about the cause of his death began to dominate headlines.
In the years leading up to his death, the late icon’s health had been in rapid decline. He had gained a significant amount of weight, developed a range of health issues, was hospitalized four times in five years, and was heavily reliant on prescription drugs.
Despite his struggles, Presley continued to tour relentlessly, performing in packed arenas. Yet, fans couldn’t ignore his pale complexion, declining energy, and swollen appearance.
In the wake of Elvis’s death, his family took steps to protect his legacy – and his privacy by ordering his autopsy report to be sealed for 50 years, which means his cause of death wouldn’t be revealed until August 16, 2027.
The only person outside of the family allowed to witness the autopsy was Dan Warlick, the Chief Investigator for the Tennessee Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner.
Even with this secrecy, speculation ran wild. Dan Warlick himself contributed to one of the most widely discussed theories: that Presley tragically died while straining on the toilet.
“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,” Warlick explained. “Put simply, the strain of attempting to defecate compressed the singer’s abdominal aorta, shutting down his heart.”
Others have suggested that the artist may have died of a drug overdose, though coroners have previously disputed this claim.
Some even claim, to this day, that Elvis is alive and well, and the entire thing was faked.
With just a few years left before the autopsy report is finally unsealed, fans and experts alike are eager to uncover the truth behind the passing of one of the biggest trailblazers in entertainment history.
