#29: Linda Thompson’s Gentle Exit
When Linda Thompson entered Elvis’s world, she was a beauty queen, sweet with a backbone of steel. She brought laughter, compassion, and a determined desire to help him recover. But Elvis didn’t want to be saved—he wanted company. She stayed through mood swings, weight fluctuations, and midnight karate exhibitions.

She left love notes, flushed pills and held him through withdrawals. But even the strongest caretaker eventually breaks. Linda walked away after four years, heartbroken but clear-eyed. She said goodbye without bitterness. Later, she admitted, “He never loved himself enough.”
