DesireeNevermind said:

I think Prince married her because he wanted to start a family and a new life in 2001.

JuliePurplehead said:

so true. Prince dont' date Least not in the daylight where everyone can see.

Plus Princey wasn't gonna get them drawers unless he married her. Mani aint stupid.

Let me guess, The big boss man at Paisley sent Mayte to Spain in a plane so he could enjoy some of the fringe benefit at Paisley?? In the end the damn fringe benefits cost the employer a lot of moulah. It was Karma twofold.

She saw prince as an easy mark...she was light skined with no booty. she knew she could get him

"It was a very eye-opening experience to see what show business was all about," remembers Testolini. "It was never my desire to be in the spotlight, but it was a great experience because it allowed me to start my own business."

From the way that I read this, she wasn't saying that being married to Prince was what caused her to start her own business, but rather that learning what show business was all about, being in the spotlight while married to Prince, taught her some valuable lessons that allowed her to start her own business.

She most certainly does the former... I participated in one of her charity's events with underprivileged children, and she was very hands-on, taking genuine interest, and very nurturing care with the children. She literally rolled her sleeves up and got her hands dirty (well not with dirt but with paint to work on art projects and such.

Music pleazzzzz.....


She take my money when I'm in need
Yea she's a trifflin friend indeed
Oh she's a gold digga way over town
That dig's on me

[Chorus:]
(She did me wrong
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm Need)
But she aint messin wit no broke niggaz
(She did me wrong)
Now I aint sayin she a gold digger (When I'm need)
but she aint messin wit no broke niggaz
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl go head

Prince's ex-wife Manuela Testolini helps children the world over

TheStar.com
March 12, 2009
Malena Harbers
Special to the Star

It's no wonder Manuela Testolini thinks North Americans are easily distracted by stardom. (Yeah...and who went to live in Minnie, landed a job at Paisley Park???) She is an entrepreneur and philanthropist, runs a children's charity and champions living a green lifestyle. But instead of inquiring about her most benevolent causes, not five minutes into our interview, I ask about what I really want to know: "What was it like being married to Prince?" ]i] The moment Mani should have said "This is about the charity. Not me."[i]

"It was a roller-coaster," says Testolini. ["I rather discuss the children's needs. Not my past.[i]Married in 2001, the duo met in Prince's native Minneapolis while Testolini was working for his charity, Love4OneAnother. They lived together in Toronto but ultimately divorced five years later.

"It was a very eye-opening experience to see what show business was all about," remembers Testolini. "It was never my desire to be in the spotlight [i]Mani...Please, stop it.] but it was a great experience because it allowed me to start my own business."

Born and raised in North York, she still calls the Bayview Ave. area home. A law and sociology student at York University, she was a philanthropist at heart and eventually left Toronto to pursue a career in Minneapolis. There, she founded her children's foundation, In A Perfect World, a non-profit organization that partners with other community-based associations to inspire and empower children.

My unashamed, quick switch from talking charitable projects to rock star inquiries illustrates one of the intentions of her latest endeavour, Project Mumbai, which supports children affected by the terrorist attacks last November.

"We hear about Mumbai and then we're back to talking about Britney Spears the next day," she says. "I wanted to keep what happened in people's minds and draw attention to the children affected." [i] Yeah, 'cause you're the one who called CNN, to give them details. While bullets flew overhead.[i]

On a business trip to visit the Mumbai slums, Testolini witnessed first-hand the harrowing events. While dining at the Oberoi Hotel, she found herself surrounded by gunfire.

Taking refuge in the hotel's ballroom, Testolini borrowed a companion's BlackBerry to email details of the attacks to her boyfriend, musician Eric Benét.

"Eric called as many people as he knew to help us get out of there," she recalls.

Ten hours later, back on safe ground, she created Project Mumbai to help pick up the pieces for the city's impoverished children.

To finance her charities, Testolini created Altru, a group of fragrance-based lifestyle products inspired by textiles and trinkets she collected during her travels. The flower cut-out copper incense holder is a replica of one she found in a Cairo market, originally used to store prayers or marriage certificates.

Each scent in the collection is aptly named after a core value: Harmony, Unity, Humanity and Integrity. Everything in the line is recycled or recyclable. Housed in reusable copper containers, the candles are soy, beeswax and palm oil. And the intricate packaging design, which oozes exotic charm, is made from recycled cardboard.

Being green is a way of life for Testolini. Speaking to me from her second home in West Hollywood, she lists its eco-credentials.

Her living room features non-toxic carpet and couches fashioned from organic cotton and reclaimed wood. And in Toronto, she's the proud owner of a home with a green roof and a hybrid Lexus SUV.

Testolini is genuinely compassionate and believable when she says she never wanted to be famous and that red carpets make her shy. As for her recent walk down the scarlet walkway at the Grammys with Benét and his daughter, she says, "I have to do those things because they're necessary for being supportive of someone else."

Altru products cost $15 to $65 (U.S) at amalsroom.com or neimanmarcus.com. For more info on In A Perfect World visit iapw.org.

An alternate view from an angered reader:

"Dont' you think it was Prince that used her? He even used her as a prop in all his photos during that time period. He is in complete control of who gets photographed with him and who he attends public functions with. He wanted to weave the image of a mature rock star with his new low-key wife.

Prince has his choice of women. He is meeting new girls all the time. I personally know three separate attractive girls that have been invited to sit at his table at clubs in the late 90's, and one of which spoke to him on the phone a few times after that.

I've been told that Prince has aggressively flirted with "off limits" women in the past for kicks and a measure of his appeal. These were the serious girlfriends of employees or associates.

Like many people, Prince has a history of broken relationships. He also has a history of image conscious decisions to further his career. He is a guy who knows his business, and has the abilities to shape the world around him to further his commercial artistic expression with the reputed cunning of a "svengali" at times.


He wanted to be married to Manuela, and it worked for him for a while.

Her claim that the charity/business was a positive outcome could be a legitimate way to see the good in a turbulent, unstable experience without saying anything personal that could breach a nondisclosure contract enforced by Prince.

The only time I was in proximity to Manuela was standing beside her at a Prince concert as she smiled and danced hand in hand with a little girl who must have been the daughter of some insider in the Prince camp.

I am actually ashamed that some people on this site have been so jealous and idiotic as to infer that her phone call to a news agency during the terrorist shootings in India was a ploy for fame.

Some of you are being very petty in your knee jerk judgements. But then again, innocent girls were dunked and burned as witches back in the day by the same ignorant conceited mentality."

Who knows the truth? none of us. Only Prince and Manuela know close to the truth.

ufoclub said:

okay you had me until this part. Prince is screwed up when it comes to women and mani is an opportunist stalker. perhaps they used each other but mani came out the winner

wonder505 said:

wait... You're saying those girls burned or drowned were not innocent (and implicated by circumstance)?

ufoclub said:

oh i wasn't referring to those girls moreso mani. i don't dislike her and commend her charity work, but i don't think she's "innocent' in that aspect. and i can't imagine what circumstance would take her from toronto all the way to minneapolis unless it was for opportunistic and star struck reasons, so to say that perhaps in the end they both used each other.
[Edited 3/16/09 12:41pm]

I think the interviewer should have asked Mani to elaborate just a little more to find out exactly what she meant when she said life with prince was a roller coaster. I think if we would have gotten that info we would have understood her better. Roller coaster could mean they constantly traveled, or maybe he was at times very moody, unpredictable or just not present enough.

I also want to add that she may still be very bitter about having to have gone through the divorce in the first place so naturally she will say that the good that did come out of the marriage was a platform for her charity work and business.
Grant it, she could have been more tactful, and could have carefully placed her words so as not to be misunderstood. I think in time she will speak in a way that shows more gratitude towards Prince regardless of what went down. He is the reason why she has 2 homes, is rich and can work her business and charities. If she would not have met and married Prince she would be like the rest of us, an unknown, middle to upper middle class people with one house or live in an apartment and going on Prince.org to get the latest about Prince!

It amazes me that is what she used to do and somehow managed to get out of the Prince forums and into Paisley Park. AMAZING!!

But at this point, she is so through with Prince, has Eric now and unlike Mayte and the others who kept quiet she decided to turn a negative into a positive and use the "Prince's ex-wife" status to her advantage.

I'm sure Prince has given millions throughout his life to charities and chooses NOT to speak on it, wheareas Manuela feels the need to be very vocal with her giving and her charity work.

She said she gets really shy while on the red carpet but goes to support her man which is admirable.

In closing, I just feel that Manuela is in a good space in her life, she probably wants to say so much more about how things went down with her and Prince but to avoid legal troubles she must remain quiet.

She went to college and majored in sociology and law, but after meeting Prince her goals, dreams and ambitions changed. She used her degree and business savvy to make her charity dreams a reality. I'm sure she really wanted her marriage to work, but what I can't understand is that she filed for the divorce,reports say that Prince didn't want the divorce. Obviously it was something unforgivable for her and had to get off of the roller coaster!

I do agree with the previous orger, I still don't and will never feel that it was right to have jumped in when Prince and Mayte were having problems and then she was the rebound girl. She knew what she was doing, and life has a way of biting you in the ass when you do wrong. She was partially responsible for Prince's marriage going south. I'm sure she wasn't like "Prince, I want you to make it work with Mayte, I don't want to get in the way with whats happening." She did an Angelina Jolie on Prince big time!!!

So, Manuela's marriage has failed, but she needs to really be honest with herself and say, hey....I went into the marriage with Prince with false pretenses. I know I grabbed this man from Mayte and the timing could not have been more wrong! Now I'm getting my payback!

So, I wish the very best for Mani, Eric and India and hopefully there won't be anymore drama in Mani's life, just good. Hopefully she has learned a big lesson and after her near death experience in Mumbai will value peoples lives.....not just the poor, but to leave men alone who are married or who are on the brink of divorce. Hopefully Mani has really grown up, searched her soul and come into the light and respect Karma because what comes around truly goes around!
Having said all that,we've not heard the last of Manuela. In time she will heal from the marriage not working out with Prince, will marry again and have children. She's still trying to figure it all out right now, that's my take on it.

Clevelandgirl said:

What makes u think she has not healed from the divorce?
IMHO, I feel oh girl was over Prince once he said I do... Oh girl had plans and motives from the very beginning. It was just a matter of time on how she was going 2 get out of the marriage.

An alternate view from an angered reader:

"Dont' you think it was Prince that used her? He even used her as a prop in all his photos during that time period. He is in complete control of who gets photographed with him and who he attends public functions with. He wanted to weave the image of a mature rock star with his new low-key wife.

Prince has his choice of women. He is meeting new girls all the time. I personally know three separate attractive girls that have been invited to sit at his table at clubs in the late 90's, and one of which spoke to him on the phone a few times after that.

I've been told that Prince has aggressively flirted with "off limits" women in the past for kicks and a measure of his appeal. These were the serious girlfriends of employees or associates.

Like many people, Prince has a history of broken relationships. He also has a history of image conscious decisions to further his career. He is a guy who knows his business, and has the abilities to shape the world around him to further his commercial artistic expression with the reputed cunning of a "svengali" at times.


He wanted to be married to Manuela, and it worked for him for a while.

Her claim that the charity/business was a positive outcome could be a legitimate way to see the good in a turbulent, unstable experience without saying anything personal that could breach a nondisclosure contract enforced by Prince.

The only time I was in proximity to Manuela was standing beside her at a Prince concert as she smiled and danced hand in hand with a little girl who must have been the daughter of some insider in the Prince camp.

I am actually ashamed that some people on this site have been so jealous and idiotic as to infer that her phone call to a news agency during the terrorist shootings in India was a ploy for fame.

Some of you are being very petty in your knee jerk judgements. But then again, innocent girls were dunked and burned as witches back in the day by the same ignorant conceited mentality."

Who knows the truth? none of us. Only Prince and Manuela know close to the truth.

ufoclub said:

UFO, if this comment is directed at me, you're entitled to your opinion. It doesn't mean you're correct.

Who in their right sense would think of calling CNN while there are gunmen shooting at you and others? They were not only shooting at everyone but persuing them as well. What if they had heard her speaking? I've heard the call. Manuela was not whispering. A call to CNN a ploy for fame? Not at all. She already did that when she went after Prince.

ufoclub said:

oh i wasn't referring to those girls moreso mani. i don't dislike her and commend her charity work, but i don't think she's "innocent' in that aspect. and i can't imagine what circumstance would take her from toronto all the way to minneapolis unless it was for opportunistic and star struck reasons, so to say that perhaps in the end they both used each other.[Edited 3/16/09 12:41pm]

She was a big fan. We all know that. You go to university and then you have this idea... "What if I can get a nice job, working in showbiz for someone I adore....? Heck, let's give it a try!"

When we make the decision about where we want to work, when we feel free to choose, isn't this kind of how we think (whatever business we dream of)?
So she went for it. Even if she was attracted to him, what's wrong with wanting to work for someone you fancy? The ONLY thing that would make me frown is if she really went for it JUST to get romantically involved with Prince and make him get rid of Mayte. How can you be so sure that's what she had planned?

... So she gets her job (hurray) and eventually they get involved. Does Prince have no free will?

I seriously can't see anything wrong with wanting to work for your idol, even if you have the biggest crush on him, as long as you don't just go in order to get intimate. But I understand that Mayte is a big issue. If P had been single I'm sure opinions wouldn't be as harsh.

Now she's without Prince, doing her thing and enjoying the limelight. So would I. Big deal

VenusBlingBling said:

gosh, you're trying to make it seem like a normal move but it just does not come off that way to me. from what i understand she had an on and off again volunteer job that eventually turn into something more. the fact that she was a die hard fan and from some of the correspondence some folks shared with me about her posts and statements about prince leads me to believe that leaving your country to do volunteer work for a rock star is stalkish. ofcourse it would be cool to work for someone who's music i really love, but would i leave my country to go do volunteer work for him. i don't think so. if mani's heart was in philanthropy as she painting herself to be, i just don't get the minneapolis move.

wonder505 said:

Can you explain what you mean by posts and statements about Prince?
And how did you know it was her?

(I'm really interested into what was going on in her mind at that time.)

wildgoldenhoney said:

you are? why?

you could actually find it online i think still, with her name displayed, the prince alt archives. i believe. someone had forwarded them to me a long time ago bcuz i didn't know how to search for that. it was kind of interesting cuz going from online fan to wife, but hey it paid off so hey, can't hate.
[Edited 3/16/09 17:49pm]

Boriqua1130 said:

It's common practice, called eye witness news reporting. Besides, she didn't call while shots were being fired at her while she was running for her life, she called when she was in a safe area. Can we just try to stay in reality here, people?