Priscilla Presley’s son Navarone Garibaldi Garcia has fired back after trolls mocked his GoFundMe appeal for a new pizza business.
The 39-year-old took to Instagram after followers accused him of begging for money online. Some also asked why he did not turn to his famous mother for help.
He answered with a blunt message: “Haters gonna hate.”
Navarone says he wants to launch an “affordable organic pizza” business. He also insists he is not asking strangers to bankroll the whole thing.
Why Priscilla Presley’s son says the critics got it wrong
Navarone pushed back hard in one Instagram post. He wrote: “I’m sure I’ll have to explain this many more times to ignorant people who think I should ‘ask my mom’ or that I have money… YEAH, I also have a lot of bills, I also have a budget.”
He said crowdfunding made more sense than draining his own finances. He told followers: “If I just went all in every time I thought I had a great idea… I’d be broke in 2 days.”
That is the heart of his defence. He says he has bills, limits and a budget like everyone else.
Navarone also told his nearly 50,000 followers that he donates to homelessness and other causes. He used that point to answer critics who questioned his fundraiser.
The pizza oven goal behind Navarone’s fundraiser
On his GoFundMe page, Navarone said he found a large industrial pizza oven. He said he negotiated the price down from $14,000 to $8,500.
He added: “I have 3,000 saved up for this.” At the time of the report, he had raised $3,718 toward a $5,500 target.
Recent donations reportedly ranged from $13 to $1,000. Navarone’s father is screenwriter Marco Garibaldi, 71.
He also made clear that he is not pressuring anyone who cannot afford to chip in. He wrote: “I’m not asking [anyone] to donate that can’t afford to. I’m offering free pizza to people that donate.”
Navarone stressed that he is putting in his own cash too. He said: “I’m putting in a lot of my own money to buy this oven. Just asking for help on the remaining bit that’s out of my budget. That’s all.”
He signed off with: “Love and Peace, Kindness and pizza.”
On the crowdfunding page, he shared more detail about the business. He wrote: “I have always wanted to start my own business, but marketing and advertising always get in my way.”
He then added: “The pizza dough and sauces [are] already sourced. It’s just buying the oven that I need to get me started.”
A family still carrying deep heartbreak
The row lands during a painful period for the Presley family. Priscilla Presley was also mother to Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023 at age 54.
Lisa Marie shared daughters Harper and Finley Lockwood with ex-husband Michael Lockwood. She also shared daughter Riley Keough with ex-husband Danny Keough.
Her son Benjamin Keough died by suicide in July 2020 at age 27. On Sunday, both Priscilla and Navarone marked the sixth anniversary of his death by sharing his photo on Instagram.
In May, Priscilla Presley and Navarone Garibaldi Garcia attended a speaking event in Las Vegas. There, the grieving mother spoke about the strain on the family after Lisa Marie’s death.
She said: “It’s kind of separated us in a way,” and added that before Lisa Marie’s passing the family would “get together and have meals and, of course, you know, have family.”
Read more: Alex Reid ‘threatens’ ex-wife Katie Price with exposé as he gears up for tell-all live show
So, what do you think? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know