Venetia Stevenson, an actress once called “the most photogenic girl in the world,” was well-known for her relationship with Elvis Presley.
Though she passed away in September at the age of 84, her sister Caroline Stevenson recently spoke to Fox News about their connection. She shared that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was truly smitten with Venetia, and they became romantically involved in the late 1950s.
“Elvis Presley was one of the most polite, wonderful, and genuine kind men she ever met,” Caroline recalled. As a teenager at the time, she thought, “Oh my God, is Venetia going to marry Elvis?”
Venetia, the daughter of General Hospital star Anna Lee and Mary Poppins director Robert Stevenson, and Elvis were first photographed together in 1957 when she visited him in Memphis, Tennessee, for a screening of his film Loving You.
Caroline added that the “Suspicious Minds” singer “couldn’t have been nicer.”
“[Venetia] did go and stay with him [in Memphis],” she said. “I know they stayed in separate bedrooms because she made it clear that’s how she wanted it, and he respected that.
“She thought he was just wonderful, but nothing ever developed beyond that. I can’t imagine why; we all did flip-flops whenever he walked into a room,” she gushed.
Caroline also recalled Presley being “down-to-earth.” In fact, he once took Venetia to a local restaurant to order a hamburger.
“The waitress was just swooning. And there he was, saying, ‘This food is delicious, but you’ve got to make this lettuce smaller.
You need to chop it up; otherwise, it just falls off the hamburger.’ Meanwhile, the waitress was almost fainting on the floor,” Caroline recounted.
She then revealed that her sister was a well-known companion for closeted stars in Hollywood, such as Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter, adding that she dated “all kinds of people.”
Venetia ultimately married Russ Tamblyn, the star of West Side Story, in 1956. However, their marriage was short-lived, as they separated just a year later.
In 1962, she found love again and married Don Everly of the renowned musical duo, the Everly Brothers.
Together, Venetia and Everly welcomed three children into their family. After marrying Don, Venetia decided to step back from her Hollywood career, focusing instead on raising their children and embracing family life.
This shift marked a significant change in her priorities as she transitioned from the spotlight to a more private existence.
