It’s no secret that Nicolas Cage has had a very public love life over the years. From getting married in Las Vegas to opening up about dating Sarah Jessica Parker, the Academy Award-winning actor has been in the public eye a lot. Have you heard about throwing a $65,000 engagement ring off a yacht after getting in a fight with the daughter of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll?”
Well, that’s what happened, according to Priscilla Presley in her 2025 memoir Softly as I Leave You: Life After Elvis. In her new book, Elvis’ former wife opened up about the time Cage and Lisa Marie Presley got into a heated argument during their tumultuous relationship that resulted in a scene that played out like one of Cage's more ridiculous movies.
One afternoon, they went sailing off the coast of Catalina Island on Nic’s yacht, the Weston. Something set off another of their epic fights, and Lisa pulled off her engagement ring and threw it at Nic. Furious, Nic threw the ring overboard.
Those of us who were around and followed tabloids in the early 2000s remember the intense on-and-off relationship between the Hollywood star and his famous fiancée, not to mention their eventual celebrity breakup. Regardless, this particular story is new to me, and it’s blowing my mind. So, after reading about this fight that resulted in a ring that cost more than most people’s annual salary going to the bottom of the ocean, I just have to know what happened next.
As Presley put it, Cage regretted his decision and went to great lengths in an attempt to find the missing hardware. He even went as far as to hire a team of divers to search the area off the California coast, but the searches turned up nothing. Presley added:
As far as I know, the ring is still there.
Though the $65,000 six-carat ring was never seen again, Cage didn’t waste any time at all obtaining a replacement. A couple of days later, he not only bought Lisa Marie Presley a new ring, but he also got her an even bigger ring, this one having a ten-carat diamond.
The couple would eventually get married, but the relationship wasn’t meant to be, and they went their separate ways after a 2004 divorce. When looking back on the episode, Presley made it seem like it best illustrated her daughter and former son-in-law’s testy relationship:
They screamed and yelled, they threw things, and sometimes they broke things. They broke up. And the next day, or pretty close to it, they made up. Lisa and Nic broke up and made up so many times, it was dizzying. … When it was good, it was very, very good. And when it was bad, it was horrid.
The couple went their separate ways, with Cage getting married three more times after their split, and Presley tying the knot a couple of years after their divorce.
Though it seemed like the pair had a heated and testy relationship, it didn’t stop the National Treasure actor from paying tribute to his ex following Presley’s death in 2023.
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