ufoclub said:

Just scanning a few posts in this thread. Predictably a lot of fans are upset by the honesty of Mayte's account of the birth of their tragic son, and are criticizing it as being told like horror genre (she uses the word "horrified". She described the physicality of his disorder). I think those fans just can't bear to realize that some parts of life, even Mayte's, and even Prince's were as bad as it can get. Even horrific. It's true for anyone. Part of the point of this book is to illuminate that, and for her to finally escape the denial of it (that denial Prince wanted when he was alive). Denial is horrible for psychological health. It's certainly unhealthy for politics, society, and art, and humanity in general. Bad and unpredictable things happen because of denial... in your life too.

If you read the whole book, you might see what she has woven in a different light.

I said it reminded me of the scene in rosemary's baby, the way it was written. I don't know if it happened like that, it sure is dramatic as hell and it's very sad. I think the same info could have been conveyed differently. and let us all not kid ourselves, when people write books, they do it for money, not for healing, not to humanize anyone, not to rectify anything but for money. I'm sure she didn't write it for free. I'm not really judging her, I just sometimes wish these people, people who write books wouldn't sugar coat things with lies. The people who wrote books about elvis did it for money, priscilla did it for money, his bodyguards did it for money. Even the first hackjob book about elvis before he died was supposedly written "to present him with a challenge" with only one of the bodyguards saying "it was out of bitterness".

1Sasha said:

Years ago, the actress Loretta Young gave birth to a child out-of-wedlock. The little girl's biological father was Clark Gable. Ms. Young, some time later, pretended to adopt the child and then presented her as her daughter thereafter. Her daughter learned who her father was when she was older. I bring this story up because we are beyond the era when such secrets can be kept. There is no way Prince's life would remain secret after his death. Everything is going to come out (except that damn autopsy report). It is not just people wanting to cash in; it is the age we are living in. I have no problem with Mayte writing a book about her life with him.

But what has come out? Mayte is not telling many of us anything we did not know already. She is just going into the details to sensationalize it. She could have put this on her Facebook page or started a blog. She also tried to put this out when he was alive which too me was insane and insensitive.

What is the big sceret that people are looking fo?r and how come none have come out in almost a year? We already knew this child passed it is not a secret.

PeteSilas said:

ufoclub said:

Just scanning a few posts in this thread. Predictably a lot of fans are upset by the honesty of Mayte's account of the birth of their tragic son, and are criticizing it as being told like horror genre (she uses the word "horrified". She described the physicality of his disorder). I think those fans just can't bear to realize that some parts of life, even Mayte's, and even Prince's were as bad as it can get. Even horrific. It's true for anyone. Part of the point of this book is to illuminate that, and for her to finally escape the denial of it (that denial Prince wanted when he was alive). Denial is horrible for psychological health. It's certainly unhealthy for politics, society, and art, and humanity in general. Bad and unpredictable things happen because of denial... in your life too.

If you read the whole book, you might see what she has woven in a different light.

I said it reminded me of the scene in rosemary's baby, the way it was written. I don't know if it happened like that, it sure is dramatic as hell and it's very sad. I think the same info could have been conveyed differently. and let us all not kid ourselves, when people write books, they do it for money, not for healing, not to humanize anyone, not to rectify anything but for money. I'm sure she didn't write it for free. I'm not really judging her, I just sometimes wish these people, people who write books wouldn't sugar coat things with lies. The people who wrote books about elvis did it for money, priscilla did it for money, his bodyguards did it for money. Even the first hackjob book about elvis before he died was supposedly written "to present him with a challenge" with only one of the bodyguards saying "it was out of bitterness".

Regardless of the paycheck... I think people are up in arms because Mayte is not lying, not sugar coating the traumatic circumstances of her child's birth.

I suspect the immediate reason Prince directed her and controlled himself to deny it and to go onto Oprah was also to make $ through weaving and promoting a brand, regardless of the risk of psychological aftermath denial might shift his life in the long run.

christraceyparade said:

Whew..this is going to be long. I never comment here. Always been a lurker like so many...but not so much since Prince has passed...because quite honestly, what is there to talk about? I wanted to share my thoughts about Mayte's book and the People story because it's been heavy on my heart since reading it yesterday. Everyone has an opinion and I respect whatever choice you make, so please respect mine.

I have always liked Mayte...she's pretty and talented, but I am a Prince fan first. I often reminice about the time I had a chance to dance with the dearly beloved on stage about 7 years ago when he invited folks on stage to jam. I had the pleasure of him giving me a bright, beautiful long gaze accompanied by a cute smile while I did my shimmy. I saw the magic and vulnerability in eyes as he looked down at the floor sadly before going into the pit of the stage. Deep down...I knew something was disturbingly wrong with him. If you saw his look, you would understand. He went from being really pumped on stage to looking like a sad, lonely, young boy in an instant. I also felt sad for him...in that instant and I felt that same sadness for him yesterday when I read the People story. Some of us kind of assumed that Prince had some real issues and unfortunately we all found out for sure the hardest way possible when he died.

It hurts me that Mayte is sharing his inner most, dark secrets with the world especially only one year after his death. We all know how secretive this man was. I find it hard for her to say she still loves him and then betray his trust like she's doing. It doesn't matter if he is dead or alive. The people that love you the most should respect and defend you even when you're gone.

IN MY OPINION, she has no right to tell things that Prince would not want told. Period. Obviously he did not want the intimate, intricate details of what happened to their child...what his deformity looked like, what tests they did or didn't take, and whatever else shared with the world. Imagine if your spouse/significant other, mother, father or whoever told your innermost, dark secrets to the tabloids and released a book around the 1st anniversary of your death. You would of course have to be famous for anyone to care and that's exactly why Mayte got her book deal. Not because she wanted to share her story, but to tell or sell her story about Prince. I am so sorry for her pain and suffering, but if Prince was not attached to the story, no one would care. I know that is tough to say or hear, but its the truth and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

This book was in the works within weeks of his death...is that love? At least Priscilla Presley waited years before writing about Elvis. This lady did not wait until this man's body was good and cold before she signed on the dotted line to betray him in the name of love. Where's Lisa-Marie's book about Michael? I'm sure she has some hurt and pain she would like to get off her chest from her marriage to him. If she has one, I never heard of it.

Mayte comes off as self-serving. She struck while the iron was hot and is now promoting her tell-all around the best marketing draw ever...the anniversary of his death. Genius! Plus, she's giving particial proceeds to the charity dear to her heart, not charity's Prince supported or a charity to support Pfeiffer syndrome research or support.

Since she was a child, her parent's one goal was to make her famous. They let Prince have her at a young age. The plan was working until it didn't. Now, its her time to be famous, not just with Prince fans, but the world...all off the back of this man's misery.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Prince's wives, girlfriends, friends, bandmates that are happy now that he is dead, because now they can finally shine...it's sound very cynical and sad, but let's call it what it really is.

I understand how the the random fan or non-fans would fawn over her book, but as a true fan, I would find it hard to read the intimate details of this man's pain while drinking my morning coffee. I made the mistake of reading the People story and well, here I am.

You can agree or disagree with me, whatever. Blast me and tell me not to buy the book then if I'm so disgusted...blah, blah, blah.

Like I said before, everyone has there opinion and I have mine. If she or her supporters don't want opinions that align with their dreams of a national bestseller, then she shouldn't have opened her self up to ALL opinions by making her story public.

This is how I feel as a Prince fan. Maybe, I will feel different in a couple of years, but because his death is still so fresh...it hurts. Peace to you all.

[Edited 3/16/17 7:15am]

[Edited 3/16/17 7:18am]

Well everyone is entitled to their opinions, I have to disagree. Mayte has the right to share what she wants to share just as PRINCE had the right not to. Just because he may have told her to keep quiet, she is a human being. The thing we forget is how much more PAINFUL it is for the mother to lose a child than a father, also not to forget she also miscarried once i believe later on in their marriage. To have OPRAH in your house and then have MAYTE who was at the time barely 23 that is not an age where she is able to cope with this better, literally weeks after the child is dead, Oprah is in the house and she is instructed to "keep hush" and "hold it together", granted that was his thing to do, for the camera for his world he felt that was right and I always respected him for not letting the public in, but 20 years later after PRINCE has passed this story coming out or MAYTE breaking her silence is not disrespectful or harmful to anyone. Fact is the 90's were an era people thought PRINCE was "crazy" "insane" "spoiled" etc.. though us loyal fans stuck with me all through it, the public and mainstream dismissed him. As I said before general public never knew there was a child, and almost NONE knew he had another wife, barely half knew Mayte.

lastdecember said:

Well everyone is entitled to their opinions, I have to disagree. Mayte has the right to share what she wants to share just as PRINCE had the right not to. Just because he may have told her to keep quiet, she is a human being. The thing we forget is how much more PAINFUL it is for the mother to lose a child than a father, also not to forget she also miscarried once i believe later on in their marriage. To have OPRAH in your house and then have MAYTE who was at the time barely 23 that is not an age where she is able to cope with this better, literally weeks after the child is dead, Oprah is in the house and she is instructed to "keep hush" and "hold it together", granted that was his thing to do, for the camera for his world he felt that was right and I always respected him for not letting the public in, but 20 years later after PRINCE has passed this story coming out or MAYTE breaking her silence is not disrespectful or harmful to anyone. Fact is the 90's were an era people thought PRINCE was "crazy" "insane" "spoiled" etc.. though us loyal fans stuck with me all through it, the public and mainstream dismissed him. As I said before general public never knew there was a child, and almost NONE knew he had another wife, barely half knew Mayte.

I hear what you're saying but its a little scary to say that nothing is sacred. Anything can be talked about. I dont know how I feel about that.

lastdecember said:

christraceyparade said:

Whew..this is going to be long. I never comment here. Always been a lurker like so many...but not so much since Prince has passed...because quite honestly, what is there to talk about? I wanted to share my thoughts about Mayte's book and the People story because it's been heavy on my heart since reading it yesterday. Everyone has an opinion and I respect whatever choice you make, so please respect mine.

I have always liked Mayte...she's pretty and talented, but I am a Prince fan first. I often reminice about the time I had a chance to dance with the dearly beloved on stage about 7 years ago when he invited folks on stage to jam. I had the pleasure of him giving me a bright, beautiful long gaze accompanied by a cute smile while I did my shimmy. I saw the magic and vulnerability in eyes as he looked down at the floor sadly before going into the pit of the stage. Deep down...I knew something was disturbingly wrong with him. If you saw his look, you would understand. He went from being really pumped on stage to looking like a sad, lonely, young boy in an instant. I also felt sad for him...in that instant and I felt that same sadness for him yesterday when I read the People story. Some of us kind of assumed that Prince had some real issues and unfortunately we all found out for sure the hardest way possible when he died.

It hurts me that Mayte is sharing his inner most, dark secrets with the world especially only one year after his death. We all know how secretive this man was. I find it hard for her to say she still loves him and then betray his trust like she's doing. It doesn't matter if he is dead or alive. The people that love you the most should respect and defend you even when you're gone.

IN MY OPINION, she has no right to tell things that Prince would not want told. Period. Obviously he did not want the intimate, intricate details of what happened to their child...what his deformity looked like, what tests they did or didn't take, and whatever else shared with the world. Imagine if your spouse/significant other, mother, father or whoever told your innermost, dark secrets to the tabloids and released a book around the 1st anniversary of your death. You would of course have to be famous for anyone to care and that's exactly why Mayte got her book deal. Not because she wanted to share her story, but to tell or sell her story about Prince. I am so sorry for her pain and suffering, but if Prince was not attached to the story, no one would care. I know that is tough to say or hear, but its the truth and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

This book was in the works within weeks of his death...is that love? At least Priscilla Presley waited years before writing about Elvis. This lady did not wait until this man's body was good and cold before she signed on the dotted line to betray him in the name of love. Where's Lisa-Marie's book about Michael? I'm sure she has some hurt and pain she would like to get off her chest from her marriage to him. If she has one, I never heard of it.

Mayte comes off as self-serving. She struck while the iron was hot and is now promoting her tell-all around the best marketing draw ever...the anniversary of his death. Genius! Plus, she's giving particial proceeds to the charity dear to her heart, not charity's Prince supported or a charity to support Pfeiffer syndrome research or support.

Since she was a child, her parent's one goal was to make her famous. They let Prince have her at a young age. The plan was working until it didn't. Now, its her time to be famous, not just with Prince fans, but the world...all off the back of this man's misery.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Prince's wives, girlfriends, friends, bandmates that are happy now that he is dead, because now they can finally shine...it's sound very cynical and sad, but let's call it what it really is.

I understand how the the random fan or non-fans would fawn over her book, but as a true fan, I would find it hard to read the intimate details of this man's pain while drinking my morning coffee. I made the mistake of reading the People story and well, here I am.

You can agree or disagree with me, whatever. Blast me and tell me not to buy the book then if I'm so disgusted...blah, blah, blah.

Like I said before, everyone has there opinion and I have mine. If she or her supporters don't want opinions that align with their dreams of a national bestseller, then she shouldn't have opened her self up to ALL opinions by making her story public.

This is how I feel as a Prince fan. Maybe, I will feel different in a couple of years, but because his death is still so fresh...it hurts. Peace to you all.

[Edited 3/16/17 7:15am]

[Edited 3/16/17 7:18am]

Well everyone is entitled to their opinions, I have to disagree. Mayte has the right to share what she wants to share just as PRINCE had the right not to. Just because he may have told her to keep quiet, she is a human being. The thing we forget is how much more PAINFUL it is for the mother to lose a child than a father, also not to forget she also miscarried once i believe later on in their marriage. To have OPRAH in your house and then have MAYTE who was at the time barely 23 that is not an age where she is able to cope with this better, literally weeks after the child is dead, Oprah is in the house and she is instructed to "keep hush" and "hold it together", granted that was his thing to do, for the camera for his world he felt that was right and I always respected him for not letting the public in, but 20 years later after PRINCE has passed this story coming out or MAYTE breaking her silence is not disrespectful or harmful to anyone. Fact is the 90's were an era people thought PRINCE was "crazy" "insane" "spoiled" etc.. though us loyal fans stuck with me all through it, the public and mainstream dismissed him. As I said before general public never knew there was a child, and almost NONE knew he had another wife, barely half knew Mayte.

"The thing we forget is how much more PAINFUL it is for the mother to lose a child than a father"

Well that is it in a nutshell. His feelings don't mean shit to her and probaly never did and they mean nothing to anyone on this board. Wow glad you had the balls to admit it. Fathers feelings don't matter. Whoa!!!

ufoclub said:

PeteSilas said:

I said it reminded me of the scene in rosemary's baby, the way it was written. I don't know if it happened like that, it sure is dramatic as hell and it's very sad. I think the same info could have been conveyed differently. and let us all not kid ourselves, when people write books, they do it for money, not for healing, not to humanize anyone, not to rectify anything but for money. I'm sure she didn't write it for free. I'm not really judging her, I just sometimes wish these people, people who write books wouldn't sugar coat things with lies. The people who wrote books about elvis did it for money, priscilla did it for money, his bodyguards did it for money. Even the first hackjob book about elvis before he died was supposedly written "to present him with a challenge" with only one of the bodyguards saying "it was out of bitterness".

Regardless of the paycheck... I think people are up in arms because Mayte is not lying, not sugar coating the traumatic circumstances of her child's birth.

I suspect the immediate reason Prince directed her and controlled himself to deny it and to go onto Oprah was also to make $ through weaving and promoting a brand, regardless of the risk of psychological aftermath denial might shift his life in the long run.

She may be lying about a few things because some things to do not mesh with stuff she said before but you guys will see when the book comes out.

paulludvig said:

ufoclub said:

PeteSilas said:

I said it reminded me of the scene in rosemary's baby, the way it was written. I don't know if it happened like that, it sure is dramatic as hell and it's very sad. I think the same info could have been conveyed differently. and let us all not kid ourselves, when people write books, they do it for money, not for healing, not to humanize anyone, not to rectify anything but for money. I'm sure she didn't write it for free. I'm not really judging her, I just sometimes wish these people, people who write books wouldn't sugar coat things with lies. The people who wrote books about elvis did it for money, priscilla did it for money, his bodyguards did it for money. Even the first hackjob book about elvis before he died was supposedly written "to present him with a challenge" with only one of the bodyguards saying "it was out of bitterness".

Regardless of the paycheck... I think people are up in arms because Mayte is not lying, not sugar coating the traumatic circumstances of her child's birth.

I suspect the immediate reason Prince directed her and controlled himself to deny it and to go onto Oprah was also to make $ through weaving and promoting a brand, regardless of the risk of psychological aftermath denial might shift his life in the long run.

you think so? I thought that's just how prince dealt with everything, just pretend it's no big deal and bury himself in work. Prince was a strong person, i can see that having something to do with how he died too, just a freakishly uncompromising, strong individual who wouldn't tolerate anything but excellence.

PurpleMedley122 said:

Militant said:

rogifan said:

Mayte has a right to tell her side of the story my first question would be when did Prince tell his?

Prince told his stories in song form. He told his story (as regards to Mayte many times).

From love (The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, The One), lust (Come), marriage (Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife), conception/pregnancy (Sex In The Summer where he used the baby's heartbeat, I would also put New World in this category, as in imagining the world that would exist for his children), the heartbreak at losing the child (Comeback), to the break-up of their marriage (Wasted Kisses, Eye Love But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore). Many more examples.

Stating that Prince didn't tell his story because he didn't write a book doesn't make any sense. He wasn't an author. He was a songwriter.

I couldn't agree more.

rogifan said:

PurpleMedley122 said:

What secrets is she revealing though? That they lost a child? Other than the name of the child that as his mother she has every right to reveal, we all knew that. That he had a drug problem? Unless you're one of those people on this forum still in denial (I hope not), he's dead. We know why. Even the leaked manuscript proves that the book isn't exactly filled with unknown "secrets".

He had a drug problem when he was married to her? Even though she says she never saw him take anything? And that drug problem continued until April 2016 yet somehow he was able to successfully record albums and do big and small tours among plenty of other things - all while having a drug problem for 20+ years? I guess he was really superman.

Well she said she never saw him using drugs but some of her Vicoden went missing and later he was sick and asked to throw some meds away but she did not look to see what they were WTF.

She also said that vomit would be laying aroung the studio ( a known germ a phobe neat freak leaves vomit laying aroung ) and that he told her he had bad migraine headaches that sometimes made his stomach upset and made his zone out.

I find it interesting that she even brings this shit up at all. Either you saw him using drugs or you did not and how can you be married to someone and not notice is beyond me. I also do not believe for one minute he was abusing pain pills for 20 years and lived as long as he did. I can believe that he had a RX at some point and things to a wrong turn later in his life. I can believe he had joint pain, migranes and seizures. He was a person prone to health issues just like anyone else.

I really question if she ever really cared about him.

PeteSilas said:

ufoclub said:

Regardless of the paycheck... I think people are up in arms because Mayte is not lying, not sugar coating the traumatic circumstances of her child's birth.

I suspect the immediate reason Prince directed her and controlled himself to deny it and to go onto Oprah was also to make $ through weaving and promoting a brand, regardless of the risk of psychological aftermath denial might shift his life in the long run.

you think so? I thought that's just how prince dealt with everything, just pretend it's no big deal and bury himself in work. Prince was a strong person, i can see that having something to do with how he died too, just a freakishly uncompromising, strong individual who wouldn't tolerate anything but excellence.

He was a strong person who was going to push on. I do not buy the psycho babble.

PeteSilas said:

ufoclub said:

Regardless of the paycheck... I think people are up in arms because Mayte is not lying, not sugar coating the traumatic circumstances of her child's birth.

I suspect the immediate reason Prince directed her and controlled himself to deny it and to go onto Oprah was also to make $ through weaving and promoting a brand, regardless of the risk of psychological aftermath denial might shift his life in the long run.

you think so? I thought that's just how prince dealt with everything, just pretend it's no big deal and bury himself in work. Prince was a strong person, i can see that having something to do with how he died too, just a freakishly uncompromising, strong individual who wouldn't tolerate anything but excellence.

You don't go on OPRAH for that.

CatB said:

PeteSilas said:

you think so? I thought that's just how prince dealt with everything, just pretend it's no big deal and bury himself in work. Prince was a strong person, i can see that having something to do with how he died too, just a freakishly uncompromising, strong individual who wouldn't tolerate anything but excellence.

You don't go on OPRAH for that.

the oprah show might have been slated way before the kids birth. I wonder how it would have all panned out if he'd just been open about it. Prince, i don't think, wanted pity or sympathy much less having his business out there in the open. Sure it might have seemed odd to those of us who watched it all happen but maybe Prince thought that was the best venue available. What we know today is that what the people who said "it's abnormal to react with no emotion to a tragedy like that" were wrong. Prince was hurt by it, very hurt, I always think of his sons death when I listen to way back home and he says "so many reasons why I don't belong here".

laurarichardson said:

PeteSilas said:

CatB said:

You don't go on OPRAH for that.

the oprah show might have been slated way before the kids birth. I wonder how it would have all panned out if he'd just been open about it. Prince, i don't think, wanted pity or sympathy much less having his business out there in the open. Sure it might have seemed odd to those of us who watched it all happen but maybe Prince thought that was the best venue available. What we know today is that what the people who said "it's abnormal to react with no emotion to a tragedy like that" were wrong. Prince was hurt by it, very hurt, I always think of his sons death when I listen to way back home and he says "so many reasons why I don't belong here".

I was meaning to say that he wasn't strong.

laurarichardson said:

PeteSilas said:

you think so? I thought that's just how prince dealt with everything, just pretend it's no big deal and bury himself in work. Prince was a strong person, i can see that having something to do with how he died too, just a freakishly uncompromising, strong individual who wouldn't tolerate anything but excellence.

He was a strong person who was going to push on. I do not buy the psycho babble.

"Push on" is exactly what he did, in denial. Even saying publicly, everything was fine. That is a problem. "PRETEND it's no big deal". Well life is not pretend. It's real. Denial is a weakness that you mask as strength in your mind even though to everyone around you in the know, you are being weak.

I personally wish he had not been in denial and not tried to always paint a picture of idealic fantasy. The reason? He might still be alive today and sharing his incredible creativity.

I'm finding her account of things interesting and enlightening. I remember watching that Oprah special at PP in utter disbelief that 1. Her nosy ass was there trying to get a scoop. 2. The look in Mayte's eyes, even though she tried real hard to hide it, was of pure devastation. 3. And looked so lost in his denial. I wept for them because I could just feel that they were in so much pain. And now I know I wasn't mistaken about that.

Prince never dealt with what happened with their child and perhaps if he had, things could have been different for them.

CatB said:

PeteSilas said:

the oprah show might have been slated way before the kids birth. I wonder how it would have all panned out if he'd just been open about it. Prince, i don't think, wanted pity or sympathy much less having his business out there in the open. Sure it might have seemed odd to those of us who watched it all happen but maybe Prince thought that was the best venue available. What we know today is that what the people who said "it's abnormal to react with no emotion to a tragedy like that" were wrong. Prince was hurt by it, very hurt, I always think of his sons death when I listen to way back home and he says "so many reasons why I don't belong here".

I was meaning to say that he wasn't strong.

If Prince was not strong then what is strong. This guy did not stop working when his parents died. He may have been working with joint pain for a decade or more. He once stayed up for 3 days recording music and would do after shows that would go until 6:00 in the morning. He was a strong ass man.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I'm finding her account of things interesting and enlightening. I remember watching that Oprah special at PP in utter disbelief that 1. Her nosy ass was there trying to get a scoop. 2. The look in Mayte's eyes, even though she tried real hard to hide it, was of pure devastation. 3. And looked so lost in his denial. I wept for them because I could just feel that they were in so much pain. And now I know I wasn't mistaken about that.

Prince never dealt with what happened with their child and perhaps if he had, things could have been different for them.

We have no means of knowing that?

My guess is the interview was set up before hand and he wanted to focus on the music not his child's death on national T.V. I just do not see why people do not understand that. It was not the time or place.

Everybody greives in there own manner and no one can tell someone how to greive. According to her orignal story he made the funeral arrangements and he worked with the doctors concerning the surgeries the child needed. He was on the scence being a Dad as a wife you have to respect that and I think she was too immature at the time to do so. He lost a baby just like she did it was not all about her.

100% agree. Eye still have a hard time referring 2 P in past tense, but it's true, he's no longer in the physical universe, & Mayte is. Don't know if eye'll get the book, eye'm tired of crying, of being sad, of the emptiness. But eye support Mayte doing what she feels she needs 2 do.

Militant said:

least87 said:

I have the book on order and of course plan to read it but there's something about seeing this headline. I can't imagine what Prince would think of it.

He's not here. That's the point. Isn't it better that the people he left behind tell their stories, as long as it's done out of love? They certainly have the right to do so.

If you read the excerpt, it's heart-breaking stuff. Everyone who reads it will feel such sympathy for Prince and Mayte over these events. Most couples probably wouldn't survive it, let alone a famous couple with so many other pressures.

Prince didn't like anyone talking about him. If he walked into a 7-11 and bought a soda and then the person who served him told his friend "Hey, Prince came in today" - Prince wouldn't like it. That's because he built his career from mystery and enigma as well as talent. He's the guy who didn't do interviews when he had the biggest album in the world.

But you can't maintain enigma when you're gone.

If anything, I personally feel like everyone who has a story to tell, should tell it. Because that's all that's left now. It humanises him. It allows us to see him as a multi-dimensional human being.

Mayte was unquestionably one of the most important relationships in Prince's entire life. Nobody is going to deny that. I personally support her telling her story. Other people won't, and that's their prerogative.

ufoclub said:

laurarichardson said:

He was a strong person who was going to push on. I do not buy the psycho babble.

"Push on" is exactly what he did, in denial. Even saying publicly, everything was fine. That is a problem. "PRETEND it's no big deal". Well life is not pretend. It's real. Denial is a weakness that you mask as strength in your mind even though to everyone around you in the know, you are being weak.

I personally wish he had not been in denial and not tried to always paint a picture of idealic fantasy. The reason? He might still be alive today and sharing his incredible creativity.

This exactly.

And he never complained or let it show in public but in private he had many shoulders to cry on, many who had to listen and catch him although they had their own life and challenges.

Militant said:

rogifan said:

Mayte has a right to tell her side of the story my first question would be when did Prince tell his?

Prince told his stories in song form. He told his story (as regards to Mayte many times).

From love (The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, The One), lust (Come), marriage (Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife), conception/pregnancy (Sex In The Summer where he used the baby's heartbeat, I would also put New World in this category, as in imagining the world that would exist for his children), the heartbreak at losing the child (Comeback), to the break-up of their marriage (Wasted Kisses, Eye Love But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore). Many more examples.

Stating that Prince didn't tell his story because he didn't write a book doesn't make any sense. He wasn't an author. He was a songwriter.

Well said!!!

CatB said:

PeteSilas said:

the oprah show might have been slated way before the kids birth. I wonder how it would have all panned out if he'd just been open about it. Prince, i don't think, wanted pity or sympathy much less having his business out there in the open. Sure it might have seemed odd to those of us who watched it all happen but maybe Prince thought that was the best venue available. What we know today is that what the people who said "it's abnormal to react with no emotion to a tragedy like that" were wrong. Prince was hurt by it, very hurt, I always think of his sons death when I listen to way back home and he says "so many reasons why I don't belong here".

I was meaning to say that he wasn't strong.

well, can't agree with you there then.

KeithyT said:

ufoclub said:

laurarichardson said:

He was a strong person who was going to push on. I do not buy the psycho babble.

"Push on" is exactly what he did, in denial. Even saying publicly, everything was fine. That is a problem. "PRETEND it's no big deal". Well life is not pretend. It's real. Denial is a weakness that you mask as strength in your mind even though to everyone around you in the know, you are being weak.

I personally wish he had not been in denial and not tried to always paint a picture of idealic fantasy. The reason? He might still be alive today and sharing his incredible creativity.

maybe that's all he knew how to do, I don't think it's fair to judge him for it. Maybe you'd be happy if he'd had a nervous breakdown and dissapeared from the public eye for the rest of his life. Some people have surmised that's what killed him too, him almost dying, pretending everything is fine and then dying a few days later. Maybe that was his only strategy for dealing with things, it took him through a lot. Sometimes, if you do not trust anyone, you know better than to show vulnerability. It was a difficult situation, there was no way that he could have handled it that would have made everything alright. And we know he dealt with it privately like he did most things. I really do believe that while he wanted fame, he also desperately wanted privacy too. That's why to this day, the people around him won't tell us everything about what killed him. they knew he wouldn't want that and to date they are respecting that but we'll just have to see how long that lasts.

KeithyT said:

Her life, her body, her love, her memories, her decision, her happiness, her pain, her joy, her book, her money, her truth.

No need to bash anybody.

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, & YES!!! All this judgment about what another's motives r is SPECULATION @ best, & reflection of the judger's actual nature, @ worst.

CatB said:

PeteSilas said:

the oprah show might have been slated way before the kids birth. I wonder how it would have all panned out if he'd just been open about it. Prince, i don't think, wanted pity or sympathy much less having his business out there in the open. Sure it might have seemed odd to those of us who watched it all happen but maybe Prince thought that was the best venue available. What we know today is that what the people who said "it's abnormal to react with no emotion to a tragedy like that" were wrong. Prince was hurt by it, very hurt, I always think of his sons death when I listen to way back home and he says "so many reasons why I don't belong here".

I was meaning to say that he wasn't strong.

I'm struck by your words here.

Some people are describing the strength involved with Prince's work ethic and some of what he worked straight through and how he was known for pressing on ahead, sometimes in the face of unimaginable exhaustion and crushing life events.

I read something recently where a writer said maybe one of Prince's greatest strengths was also one of his greatest vulnerabilities.

Does this ring true to you at all?

U r AWESOME!!! Thank u 4 all u said!!! & eye'm so, so sorry 4 ur loss!!!

BillieBalloon said:

benni said: Who has dismissed his birth? Many many articles ive read over the years and since Prince died talk about their lost child. Nobody has dusmissed anything. What she has done is take away the babys dignity by describing him like something from Rosemarys Baby, as someone said up top. Prince kept the childs right to rest in peace, why does she say that they looked at him in terror? Why reduce the birth scene to the level of a horror film. Mayte knew the media would drag Prince through the mud because if her tabloid style book...oh and look..thats what they are doing. A woman scorned..

No one has dismissed his birth? When did you know what the baby's name? I mean the real name, not just Boy Gregory? In every article that was printed about the baby that you read, did they call the baby by his real name? They just mention Mayte and Prince had a son that died from Pfeiffer Syndrome. And Mayte has had to dismiss his birth, to act bright and sunny, to act as though this had no impact on her. She has never been able to talk about Ahmir. As I said in my post, Mayte has had to dismiss his birth for too many years. Non-disclosure papers?

As for the description of Ahmir, she only described his labor breathing and no eyelids. This was their story, reliving the truth and the pain in that moment. The other descriptions were describing what could present with Type 2 Pfeiffer Syndrome.

And keeping the baby's right to rest in peace? First off, have you ever lost a child? As a mother who has lost a child (stillborn daughter), you find you want to talk about the baby, to share the baby with the world, to share the pain and the heartache with anyone that will listen, to openly mourne the loss of your baby. I don't know the reasons why Mayte has not been allowed to do that and can only surmise that it was a non-disclosure agreement that kept her from talking for all these years, as well as respecting Prince's wishes. But she can finally talk about her baby, to talk about that tragic and painful time, to finally discuss the hopes and dreams they had for their child, only to realize the horror of the loss they would endure.

As for the statement of "looking in terror", her wording is not the best in describing that moment but they had a doctor that told them they were looking at a possible type of dwarfism and they were okay with that, the look of terror was from the realizm that what they were dealing with was not a form of dwarfism but something much more devastating. You are only reading an excerpt of the book and judging from a small slice of what she probably stated in the book, not the whole picture.

And going back to the let the baby rest in peace comment for a moment, is that people are doing for Prince when they are waiting to see his autopsy results? When they are wanting to know the how and why of him dying in the manner he did? Is that what we are doing with Prince when we sit here and have talked openly about him, his death, his life for the past year? Mayte wasn't given the same consideration to be able to talk about her child after his death, not openly, not truthfully, not the way we've been able to talk about Prince and try to determine what he meant when he wrote this lyric, what he meant when he said that, not when we put our own spin on what he was saying to make it fill some agenda we might want it to fill. No - none of us have let Prince rest in peace for the last year. We've been able to come to a forum and talk with complete strangers about our heartache, our disbelief, our grief. Mayte could not do that. We were strangers to Prince, he only knew us as his fans, and we've been able to grieve openly on this forum. Mayte carried that baby in her womb, gave birth to him, and she has had to grieve in silence. People are just so judgmental, so uncaring, so determined to make this fit with their idea of what or who she is that they are placing on to her what they want to place on her to make her fit.

It's no wonder Prince remained so mysterious and didn't let anyone in. Look at what happens with people who claim to love you. They become so judgmental and hateful, it's really sad. And the worst thing we can do to Prince's memory is exactly what is being doing on this thread towards the mother of his child. You all saying, "Prince wouldn't like this." You're right. He wouldn't like how his so-called fans are behaving towards the woman who carried a part of him in her womb.

If you don't want to read the book, then don't. There is absolutely no need to trash Mayte in the process of you telling everyone that you won't read the book. If you feel so strongly about Mayte writing this book as being wrong, why did you even read the excerpt?