Why is it so hard to think that a few of his staff suspected, they tried to help, but that Prince wanted to manage this himself and told them to butt out? I don't believe anyone from JW or even regular friends knew. This was something Prince took on himself, having heard many warnings I am sure, and decided he was going to do what he thought best for himself. In fact I am pretty sure that he got mad anytime someone tried to interfere in the way he wanted to do things. Remember how offended he was by Susan Rogers saying her life purpose was to preserve the Vault? He thought it was illegal and didn't appreciate her psychoanalyzing him either. He's not our property. He made that clear.

[Edited 5/14/16 8:53am]

He was also their boss...Difficult spot. Still...

Well we all know for sure when the autopsy results etc are released.

[Edited 5/16/16 21:02pm]

It is odd that there has never been a suspicion that Prince was on pain meds. The number of people he has pissed off and fired over the years, if there was any suspicions circulating in the Prince camp, someone would have come out and said something. Even if they were labelled nothing more than a disgruntled ex employee at the time, it woud be on record now. But no. Not a single utterance or insinuation. Maybe this was a very recent thing...

nursev said:

Rebeljuice said:

It is odd that there has never been a suspicion that Prince was on pain meds. The number of people he has pissed off and fired over the years, if there was any suspicions circulating in the Prince camp, someone would have come out and said something. Even if they were labelled nothing more than a disgruntled ex employee at the time, it woud be on record now. But no. Not a single utterance or insinuation. Maybe this was a very recent thing...

There was talk of it around 2009 IIRC. I remember even Wendy & Lisa saying in an interview (maybe even the one they did for the org?) they had heard something, rumours mainly, around then.

At the end of the day it's not like it was hard for him to cut people off from his life if he wanted to.

jaawwnn said:

Rebeljuice said:

It is odd that there has never been a suspicion that Prince was on pain meds. The number of people he has pissed off and fired over the years, if there was any suspicions circulating in the Prince camp, someone would have come out and said something. Even if they were labelled nothing more than a disgruntled ex employee at the time, it woud be on record now. But no. Not a single utterance or insinuation. Maybe this was a very recent thing...

There was talk of it around 2009 IIRC. I remember even Wendy & Lisa saying in an interview (maybe even the one they did for the org?) they had heard something, rumours mainly, around then.

At the end of the day it's not like it was hard for him to cut people off from his life if he wanted to.

Ive also just reread a thread from back in 2011 about Manuela posting on her Facebook page something along the lines of hoping Prince doesnt go on a TV chatshow like Charlie Sheen just did (paraphrazing), in response to a drug fueled rant Sheen went on. She then apologised later on saying she never meant to be hurtful but it was a slippery slope being surrounded by yes people and enablers.

So, it seems there were very subtle leaks about his problems going back a few years.

Rebeljuice said:

Ive also just reread a thread from back in 2011 about Manuela posting on her Facebook page something along the lines of hoping Prince doesnt go on a TV chatshow like Charlie Sheen just did (paraphrazing), in response to a drug fueled rant Sheen went on. She then apologised later on saying she never meant to be hurtful but it was a slippery slope being surrounded by yes people and enablers.

So, it seems there were very subtle leaks about his problems going back a few years.

Yeah, i'm trying to be careful in what i'm saying here because i'm going by memory, I got the impression back then that he was strongly rumoured to be taking painkillers and/or be in a great bit of hip pain and W&L basically said "we're not sure, we have heard things about him taking a lot of pills for pain but we haven't been speaking to him, we hope he's ok". It sticks out in my mind because they're pretty straight talking and if they said they heard something that'd give it some credence to me.

If this was just before he got surgery in 2010 (another rumour!) then it would make sense, but it would also make sense that he stopped taking them after getting the surgery.

But it's a lot of unconfirmed rumours piled on top of each other, along with my own faulty memory.

[Edited 5/17/16 3:24am]

it is worth mentioning that he might have had pain with or without the surgery. I know people who have had hip surgery or back surgery or whatever and still have to manage pain. when the hips go it affects the sciatica as well. i'm sure his lower back was a mess. remember the stuff sheila said about her legs and back and she didn't do near as much jumping in her career.

it's all so sad.

^^Little Richard had a hip replacement a few years ago and has said he has been in more constant pain after the surgery and mostly gets around in a wheelchair.

jpav said:

What amazes me is how long he was supposedly taking these pills and we heard nothing; no rumors, no speculation, no TMZ stuff.

There is nothing wrong or illegal with taking prescribed pain pills. Millions of people take them every day.

At this point there is no proof that Prince was abusing his medication in anyway. No sign that he was being irresponsible with his pain management.

Blaming other people for not forcing a grown man to do what????? Have a surgery he may not have wanted to have???

We are all on the outside looking in and do not know what really went down and we never will.

I will not judge his friends or him based on supposition from TMZ

beachy said:

Rebeljuice said:

I seem to recollect that most people who've worked for Prince signed non disclosure agreements.

nursev said:

nursev said:

Goddess4Real said:

98csplane said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Come on. People have gone from blaming Larry Graham to associates now. We don't know what type of help they offered Prince. What if Prince was one of the types to deny help from others. Or say he was fine. Stop the madnesd.

Truly insane. Probably a warped perspective borne out of anger and pain at Prince's death,

98csplane said:

nursev said:

BillieBalloon said:

nursev said: Really? But JW do have surgery it's not against their faith.

There is no other good reason for him not to have the hip surgery except that they influenced him not to I mean Prince was a smart man and Im sure he made his own decision, but I feel like they had a part in that decision.

nursev said:

jesme1999 said:

nursev said: Maybe they tried ?

I doubt it or else the man wouldnt have died alone in a damn elevator

What were they supposed to do, kidnap him and tie him to a hospital bed? That's illegal in al fifty states, you know. You can't MAKE a grown ass man do anything he doesn't want to do, even if you want to. If he wanted to live with it, that was his right as he was of age to make that choice. Which he apparently did.

Alternately, he may very well have tried to do something about it, and it might have failed. Arthritis could have set in. Any number of things could have happened. Stop blaming everyone else for Prince's choices. He knew very well what to do, and he either did or he didn't try to remedy it. We have no idea.

nursev said:

cardinal said:

nursev said:

And why didnt his so called "religious brothers" know he was taking all this shit? Since they loved him so much....shit is sad.

i have hesitated bringing lg's name up, but if they were so close, doing bible studies for hours, etc. how could larry not see something? if not the pills, the pain, then the disability, something.

this man gave to everyone around him, and when he needs someone, he gets fucking squat.

words escape me


"do i have a friend tonight?" --prince at his last concert in atlanta

It is interesting: We have 3 or 4 threads on this site reaching the almost the same conclusions. See the thread: "BREAKING NEWS: Prince died of an opioid overdose: law enforcement official

98csplane said:

I think it is eternally sad and egregiously selfish of those surrounding Prince not to seE that he was in pain, most assuredly taking opiates, and not to try to reach him as a safeguard for Prince. I think it is very very wrong of the Jehovas Witnesses to prevent Prince from having the life saving hip surgery thereby condemning him to a life of pain. I think a mountain of blame can be laid on all those people surrounding Prince. They didn't save him. They should have.