Post by Admin on Aug 31, 2016 16:20:42 GMT -4
One of Prince's ex-girlfriend's is speaking out in the wake of the legendary musician's death, to voice her belief that he kept a secret drug habit.
The Purple Rain singer's death in April took the world by surprise, since he was only 57 years old and in seemingly good health. It was later revealed that he died from an overdose of the drug fentanyl, the same opioid that killed Michael Jackson. It's still unclear whether Prince was prescribed the drug, or if he obtained it on the black market.
For ex-girlfriend Charlene Friend, 44, Prince's overdose confirms a suspicion she had about his possible drug use.
Prince's ex-girlfriend Charlene Friend, 44, believes the singer nursed a secret drug addition. Prince pictured on the left on November 22, 2015. Friend pictured on the right in 2003
While she never saw Prince taking drugs in the course of their two-year romance, Friend says his behavior, and conversations with Prince's relatives and friends, lead her to believe he nursed a secret drug addition.
He would sometimes stay up for five days at a time without sleep, food or even water, going nonstop back and forth to the studio. I had to sneak in catnaps to keep from passing out from exhaustion.
Charlene Friend, Prince's ex-girlfriend
'He would sometimes stay up for five days at a time without sleep, food or even water, going nonstop back and forth to the studio,' Friend recalled in an interview with People. 'I had to sneak in catnaps to keep from passing out from exhaustion.'
Friend says the first time she witnessed one of her boyfriend's marathon work sessions, she asked him how he stayed awake.
Prince allegedly responded: 'Angel food. Food of the spirit, not of the flesh.'
When he did eventually sleep, Friend says Prince would cover his windows with aluminum foil to make sure the room was pitch black and then crank up the heat to 80 degrees or higher.
Throughout the night, Friend says Prince would shake as if he was having a nightmare. His excuse was that he was 'dreaming music'.
After her split from Prince in 1990, Friend began to learn about a different side of her ex.
Before he died in 2013, Friend spoke to Prince's half-brother Duane Nelson, who said the singer's non-stop energy was due to a 'cocaine diet'.
'It was shocking to me to hear that,' Friend said. 'He hid it so carefully. I never saw him take even an aspirin. He seemed so health-conscious, always taking vitamins like echinacea and goldenseal.'
Others told Friend that Prince started taking pills to come down from the high he got from live performances.
Friend was just 18 years old in 1989 when she met Prince at a bar in Hollywood and struck up a romance with the singer, who was 14 years her senior. They dated for two years, before ending their relationship on bad terms. In 2003, Friend sued Prince for defamation and emotional distress, claiming he psychologically abused her during their relationship.
In court documents, Friend said: 'Prince informed me he took sexual relations very seriously. He believed he was the Messiah and if you engaged in sex with him, you became one with him.
'He would have me dress in his clothing at his whim. His staff were not allowed to look at me and I was not allowed to look at them.'
Prince eventually won the case, proving he was the victim of a 'spiteful lawsuit'.
