http://www.canada.com/nat...690a2066dd

The woman formerly known as Mrs. Prince Manuela Testolini Nelson won’t let splitsville from the Purple One derail her soy-based candle gravy train

Shinan Govani, National Post
Published: Monday, July 31, 2006

What's next for the Prince-ess? Manuela Testolini Nelson — the 29-year-old mysterious Torontonian who’s filed for divorce from her Purple Rain pop-star hubby, and stands to come away with millions — has plans to launch a home fragrance line. And, according to the Web site associated with her company, Gamillah, the launch is scheduled to go ahead, as scheduled, in the fall of 2006.

That’s right: First comes the splitsville; then come the soy-based candles!

The line, which is called Altru — short for altruism, I think — will be made up of an initial 16 pieces. This includes fragrance oils, incense sticks and, yup, allnatural candles. Divided into six, goodwill theme groups, they’ll be based on different qualities such as harmony (tanenashi persimmon), integrity (Persian lilac and bamboo), artistry (masala chai), remembrance (grapefruit and Italian rosemary), wellness (white clove and wild ginger) and appreciation (tiare and white freesia).

What, no Little Red Corvette bath balm? I’m ’fraid not. One suggestion, though, to Ms. Manuela: It might be a good idea to use the colour purple in your packaging!

According to a recent report in Women’s Wear Daily, the prices for the products will range from US$15 to $65, and they’ll be available exclusively at Nordstrom and Manhattan’s ABC Carpet & Home. And, because charity begins at home, more than half the proceeds are expected to go the In a Perfect World Foundation, a non-profit group that the Prince’s missus has started to “inspire children.”

The divorce, by the way, was first filed on May 24 at Minnesota’s Hennepin County District Court. First reported by the Star Tribune in that city, Prince’s personal lawyer later confirmed to People that his client isn’t countersuing. “He is just trying to get it resolved,” he said.

Here, then are a few more bits and bites, both past and present, about the Manuela-Prince sacred union:

The demure wife-to-be grew up in a two-bedroom in Don Mills here in Toronto and has been a gung-ho fan of Prince for as long as anybody can remember. As a friend of hers who knew her at York University told The Mirror in England some years ago, “Mani was always very quiet a college. She didn’t go in for parties and stuff like that. She was only ever interested in her art and in Prince. She was obsessed with him. It’s all she ever talked about.” Inevitably, then, perhaps, it wasn’t long before she was working at his Paisley Park recording studios, and not longer after, became his wife.

The Internet chit-chat is clear: If Prince and Manuela have been married, they certainly haven’t been acting like it much lately. Last photographed — some say — at the 2005 Oscars, one person wrote this on a fan message board: “How did they go from being seen everywhere together, to not being seen together for over a year? It makes no sense.” Page Six in the New York Post went further on Friday when the column snarled, “Prince has been spending an inordinate amount of time with his new protegé, Tamar.”
(That’s Toni Braxton’s young sister, for those who like those kind of details!)

Can you actually get divorced if you’re a Jehovah’s Witness — as Prince famously is, as is Manuela? That’s the subject of much message-board conversation, but as far as I can see, the religion does frown upon it and, according to one of many such interpretations I found of the faith, “Divorce is permitted under certain circumstance, but Jehovah hates remarriage unless the divorce occurred as a result of adultery.” (For the record: This is Prince’s second stab at divorce.)

Any disconnect between these two has certainly spilled over to Prince’s evident disconnect with Toronto. It is, perhaps, even the end of a mutual love affair. The paisley-lovin’ pop star, who shares a place with his Canadian bride on the Bridal Path, once raved about Toronto’s “cosmopolitan” vibe to journalists, dropped into places like C Lounge on Wellington and even featured a gleaming CN Tower on the jacket of his last CD. From what I’ve discerned, nobody has seen the music legend in these parts in a long, long time, and according to one source, a movie seemed to be shooting in his house early last week. A spy actually reports seeing film trucks outside of it! Guess he’s more than happy to rent it now.

This lady seems to have done her research, except for Tamar. Toni Braxton's sister? That is still floating around?

Toni Braxton has a sister name Tamar. They got it wrong.

Yea, I know. I just think it is funny that the author took all that time to dig up the info, even going back to Mani's college days, but didn't even bother to really check into who Tamar Davis is.

Jehovah doesn't hate remarriage -- Jehovah hates divorce, but Jehovah Himself divorced Israel at one time because of their adultery.

Interesting about the film trucks. A movie though? Maybe just rehearsing for a filmed performance from the house.

txladykat said:

I read somewhere that Tamar was oringinally the lead singer of Destiny's Child, Beyonce was one of the backup singers but they had another name before Destiny Child,but Tamar decided to go on to college, she speaks several different languages.

tonderlearia said:

i dont believe she was the lead singer. the group was called Girls Tyme, back when Tamar was around 12. Only lasted a couple of years.

txladykat said:

You are correct. Girls Tyme was a group that featured Tamar, Beyonce and a few other girls, and is often cited as the precursor to Destiny's Child. The girls shared lead vocal duty.

JediMaster said:

I saw the tape of them on star search and I think thats Tamar in the front

PleasurePrinciple said:

Oh, wow, that's weird.

It's a small world after all.

She also did Star Search alone when she was an adult (3 years ago).

From their website:

This list contains all contributed appearances for Ashley Ta'mar Davis. All appearances can be made at the individual TV Show or episode level.

Show: Star Search (2003)
Role: Herself- Adult Singer- Season Three- Eliminated Episode Twenty Three
Episode: Show #305(a.k.a. the one w/ guest judge Ginuwine)

First Aired: April 26, 2003

btw...is this a young Tamar in the front?

txladykat said:

Wow. It sure is!!

Odd/Creepy. I don't know why, but just a little odd/creepy.

blusapphire said:

does Beyonce have lipstick on?She looks just like her mom

PleasurePrinciple said:

She's always been a fast little miss thang.

Man, Shinan Govani is a dork. he's the biggest dork I've ever met.
my girlfriend went to high school with him and he used to wear suits...not GQ suits, accountant suits with the sociability of a fruitfly...now by some cruel twist of fate this guy is an entertainment reporter for a national paper.

anyways, im not bitter...


the guys a native Torontonian and he can't recognize a landmark for himself? When i open up Musicology i see Prince sitting with the Canada trust building in the background, before their merger with TD...I dont see a CN tower. But I'm not a reporter.

As for mani...who in their right mind would waste $65 on a candle? Thats just dumb. even if it said EMANCIPATION on it, yes, its a waste of cash. and soy bean oil.

So it's pretty clear she tattled on him to the Elders and filed for divorce. I'm sure they'd hate to lose such a lucrative...er...sprititual Witness.

Since he bought the Bridlepath house in her name (Gamillah) he planned for this way ahead...

CapedCrusader said:

blusapphire said:

I dont think she was fast...her mom would make their outfits and put the makeup on her...but I think she was just unsure of how 2 handle the group.

PleasurePrinciple said:

CapedCrusader said:

i agree. it followed the same pattern he did with mayte; buy them a house far away and let them saty there, go run aroud and do your own thing and when divorce comes that one less thing to divide up. my guess is that it's also part of the settlement.

wavesofbliss said:

I am glad for him. The author of the above article makes Mani look like a Golddigger...maybe she is, maybe she is not.