Menes said:

Lovejunky said:

Menes said:

sonshine said:

Watch from 9:45 onwards ... Both terribly sad and awkward:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFrae9RTKBw

laurarichardson said:

206Michelle said:

disch, I agree with you about the description of Amiir's appearance. Look, Pfeiffer Syndrome Type 2 is not a pretty condition. I even read an article about the family of a 6-year-old boy who lives in Flordia and has Pfeiffer Syndrome Type 2. The boy's name is William. William's mother, Lisa Feller, said the following in the article: Feller is matter-of-fact about it. “When he was born, it was very difficult to look at him,” she said. (Source: http://jacksonville.com/n...condition)

--

Amiir may have had severe deformities, but he was still Prince and Mayte's much-wanted, beloved son. He was their creation. They loved him so much that his death caused Mayte to become suicidal and was the beginning of the end of their marriage.

--

I have said it before on other threads (e.g. Where did it all turn for Prince), and I still believe, that Prince's pain was as much, if not more, emotional as it was physical. And the #1 emotional pain he experienced in his life was the death of his son. The lack of songs about Amiir's death and P's unwillingness to acknowledge Amiir's death says something about the pain of the loss...it was so painful that it was, for the most part, unspeakably painful. Prince, who was SO revealing about so many aspects of his life in his music, has 1 or 2 songs about his son's death in his published catalogue ("Comeback" for sure and possibly "Until U're in My Arms Again").

[Edited 3/18/17 19:26pm]

He did not talk about his son's death because it was private family manner and would have been tacky and sad. Do you sit around bringing up sad shit for grins and giggles. Many people said he was not a serious person and he liked to have fun. Everybody is down with living in the past and he unshakeable faith that lord took that child for a reason. I thing Mayte had post party's depression and may be still suffering with some other disorders.

So when you say that "Many people said he was not a serious person and he liked to have fun." I agree with that statement generally speaking, but not specifically in the context of this discussion because there is nothing fun about losing a child. Also, people often times use humor/fun things as an escape from reality. I'm not going to go into the dynamics of Prince's humor and having fun; that is a topic for another discussion.

--

As for Mayte, I totally agree that she likely suffered from post-partum depression because (a) she had just given birth and (b) most importantly, her child died. It wouldn't surprise me if her son's death continues to haunt her and cause her pain. She said that she hasn't gotten over it still.

--

My own grandmother had Borderline Personality Disorder. And the fact that she was raped, got pregnant, and then lost that child due to prematurity was probably a big reason for her developing BPD. She never had any other biological children. She had a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy and in the 1950s, the way to save the woman's life was to tie her tubes. She and my grandfather adopted my mother. She still carried around the Social Security/ID card for her biological child, Margaret, in her wallet when she was in her 80s.

--

If I had to go through what my grandmother went through or what Mayte went through, I would probably be pretty f***ed up, too.

--

And no, I don't bring up sad things just for grins and giggles. I bring them up because I want to know WHY. WHY did Prince die the way that he did? WHY did he die face down in the elevator at Paisley Park due to a drug overdose? WHY was he wearing clothes backwards/inside out at the time that he died? WHY did this man whose music touched my life die that way? WHY was he using painkillers? WHY didn't he seek help? Right now, there are a lot of unanswered questions. I know that I am not alone in how I feel. I am human. I have a need for things to make sense. And right now, there is a lack of information, so his death doesn't make sense to me. So I have to make sense of it myself.

--

So here is how I make sense of his death. It is common for people to use painkillers to dull their pain and to fill a void, this is common knowledge. Prince was sick. He had physical pain from years of touring. He also dealt with a lot of trauma and personal tragedies, in other words, emotional pain. Based on what I know about his death, the pain he experienced, and from my own background knowledge/experience (e.g. my grandmother's experience), I can infer that he was using painkillers to dull his physical and emotional pain. Prince did not have a history of using drugs recreationally. I believe that he was using painkillers because he was sick and was self-medicating.

--

WHY was he sick? What was causing his pain? Well, some of this is unanswered. But here's the conclusion that I have drawn based on the information that I have: He had physical pain, but more importantly, he was heartbroken. Based on what I know about Prince, as well as my own experience, I believe that the #1 reason he was heartbroken was the death of his son.

--

The clues are obvious. (1) We know that Amiir's death was so difficult that Mayte says it was the biggest factor in he and Mayte divorcing. I have to take Mayte at her word that the loss of their son devastated their marriage because she was there. It also makes sense because everyone knows that losing a child is about the worst thing that can happen to anyone. (2) His son's death was so difficult that he basically refused to acknowledge that it happened publicly. And then on top of his son's death, (3) he and Mayte had another miscarriage and (4) never had any children. (5) Prince never had any other children who lived, to our knowledge. (6) Prince wanted children, badly. The beautiful song "Let's Have a Baby" makes it clear that he wanted children. He says in interviews, including on the Oprah show in 1996, that he really wanted children. He put Amiir's heartbeat on "Sex in the Summer." He had a playroom built at Paisley Park. (And he wrote the song Future Baby Mama in 2007. Do we know for sure that the song is about himself? No, but it at least suggests that he still was interested in having a child.)

--

Some believe that Prince came to terms with the death of his son. I'm not sure that he did. Prince didn't exactly have the best coping mechanisms. He tried to control everything and he worked constantly. He was a flawed human being like the rest of us. He also sings in the song "Comeback":

If U ever lose someone
Dear 2 U
Never say the words their gone
They'll come back, yeah.

--

Well, did Amiir ever come back? No. Did Prince ever have other children? No. Maybe "comeback" is metaphorical?

--

Then there's the song "Until U're in My Arms Again," which many believe is about his son's death. I believe that it is. It makes sense that it is. And what does he say in the first 2 lines of the song:

All of my life, I’ve never wanted anyone like I wanted U
Every night, I said a prayer to God and his angels

(With this excerpt from Mayte's book, now this second line of the song makes more sense because she says in the excerpt that after she went to the hospital with bleeding, she and Prince prayed every night for their baby.)

The chorus of the song says:

Until U're in my arms again

I know this pain will never end
This broken heart will never mend
Until U’re in my arms again

--

Prince says pretty clearly how he felt in his own songs. He was heartbroken over his son's death.

--

I also know a couple of people who have lost children, one of my grandmothers and a close family friend whose 3rd son died of SIDS about 25 years ago. And based on knowing these people, the loss of a child doesn't go away, it stays with you. And I know personally that when you want children and can't have them, that the desire does not just go away. It doesn't go away until it has been satisfied. What I'm about to say is not easy to disclose publicly, but I know that the desire to have a child/children doesn't go away because my own husband and I are dealing with infertility/sub-fertility right now and it is painful. It is beyond difficult to have doctors tell you that the only fertility treatment that is feasible right now is in vitro fertilization. (By the way, I'm only 30 years old and my husband is 36.) And we have a cat, Shy, whom we love dearly. I call her "my baby" and "my child," and I mean that sincerely, but she does not take the place of having our own human child.

--

So, no, I don't bring up sad things for grins and giggles. I bring them up because in the absence of ANSWERS to WHY Prince died in the way in which he died, I have to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Mayte sharing her story helps to fill in the pieces of the puzzle for me.

Just wanted to share some thoughts:

*

* the decision to write a (autobiographical) book is not taken lightly. The author knows it will be scrutinized by the readers, in this instance by Prince's fans, family and associates and ultimately and more worryingly by the gutter press, who will not think twice before taking things out of context and creating these sensationalist headlines like "Prince Destroyed Ashes and Pictures of His Dead Son: He Had it All Burned", cleaverly leaving out the fact that that's what she was told by somebody in PP when she asked about them. And to those who are asking themselves why did she not take the ashes when she left: she did not leave. She was trying to make a new home for them in Spain, not realizing that at some point Prince would stop going there and she would not be returning to PP. She even states that only later (too late) she realized that she was the girl on her way out and Mani was the girl on the way in, exactly as she had witnessed happening before with other women (Carmen Electra, for instance).

*

* Prince was no saint. He was running around with all these women and making sure he chose women who were willing to accept that, perhaps each one of them thinking intimately that they were the one and one day he would realize it, if only they stuck around. That's what Mayte thought and that's what most of them thought, I believe. The ones that had a mind of their own and were not willing to accept such a situation left. This is probably why Prince chose women that were easily controlled and manipulated, that only wanted to please him and be a part of his glamorous life. Hence, most of them being (much) younger than him. This is true even later in his life, with Janelle and the lot. Not saying he was not helping them out and building their career, of course he was, but he also relished for sure in the company of those he could easily manipulate and those that were in awe of him. His constant need for attention and love so required it.

*

*Regarding Mayte’s comments about the pills: she clearly stated she did not see him do drugs, but she believes he might have done, it seems. Why is that so hard to believe? Remind me again what did he die of, please. Just because Prince said he did not take drugs doesn’t mean he did not. For a while I found that hard to believe also, mainly because of the whole narrative Prince himself fed us. But some of the closest people did not seem shocked by his death and others even alluded to knowing why it had happened. Yes, perhaps Sheila E was making sure his name was not tarnished by justifying his pill intake with joint pain. And perhaps all this his true, he did take pills, at first for pain management and later became addicted. So yes, she does mention pills in her book because she herself seems to realize that that was probably an issue already back then.

*

* About her talk about being under and Prince hypnotizing her: come on, can you not imagine that scenario without it being creepy? A lover laying down talking with her eyes closed about her wishes, dreams, projections, fears, etc, while her lover is caressing her? A type of meditation? It’s an intimate moment, almost like making love.

*

* The book is clearly not a tell all. There’s SO MUCH she could have said! She never portrays him badly, she merely explains what happened and of course, at times you feel compassionate for her and feel increadibly mad at Prince. After all, he was the adult there, in the sense that he was much older. She does not tarnish his name nor does she make him look bad. You get the sense that they were very much in love. Her with a father like figure, him with the naivety, lack of experience and the awe in her. She chooses not to go into Prince’s head, she leaves that part out and only mentions her vision and side of things. Never alluded at what he might be thinking concerning certain issues.

She was 16 when she met him and was 22 when she lost a baby. That family is no more. Talking about it and sharing it is her way of keeping that/her family alive.

*

* Prince must have battled many demons in his life. And probably one of those demons concerned his son and his marriage. Did he feel he was at fault for not allowing her to have the medical tests? Yes, I believe it was not her choice, you are even more naïve than she was if you think that anyone could have stood up to him. Did he realize that perhaps he was the carrier of that genetic defect and the realization weighed heavy on him, knowing that he might never father a child? Did his faith in God quiver after that, making him more willing to accept LG’s guidance into a religion that to him seemed to have more certainties?

*

* It’s awful to read some comments saying she is cashing in on her son’s death, or exploiting it. Only someone who has never lost a child could state such a thing. I know for a fact that most women who lose a child feel this intense need to talk about him/her, otherwise it makes them feel he has been forgotten and that’s the last thing they want. But in Mayte’s case, she was not allowed to talk about him. She was even made to pretend all was fine and totally avoid questions about Amir. To me it was no surprise to hear her publically state his name in the first opportunity she got. She had been prevented from doing so for many years. I see this book as some kind of catharsis for her. She never had any closure.

*

* Ultimately, she would have never been as well known had she not met Prince. He was pivotal in her life. But she was already making a career as a belly dancer and could have clearly made a living out of it if she had never met him. But she did. And he recognized her as an independent woman, thus allowing her some control over her life, but not all because basically he was a control freak. But it seems that she left that marriage only with a house, and she could have taken him to the cleaners, you do realize that? There was no prenup agreement. Mani herself demanded an allowance, something that Mayte never did. I find that very telling. I have no doubt that she loved him dearly. I usually go with my gut instinct and I feel she is coming from a good place. If she is cashing in on Prince’s death as well? A lot of people are. A lot of people will in the coming years, that’s for sure. She has been diagnosed with a disease that may hinder her future ability to work.After all, she’s a single mother working in a very harsh and fleeting area of work. Hopefully she will be able to focus all her love and affection on that little girl. What she and Prince endured was tremendously sad and heartbreaking. At least she is having the opportunity to be happy again. Sadly Prince died all alone, and most likely because once again he felt the need to be in control of everything, never giving anything away, projecting the all is good image, pushing people away and out of his life and never understanding that we, the people who loved him, would have still loved him no matter the flaws and weaknesses. It was his humanity we cherished.

I’m sorry for the long post. If a mod could please help me separate the paragraphs, I’d appreciate it.

[Edited 3/19/17 5:40am]

wow so much speculation about..... Mayte did that and this....

in a way I am glad I am not a celebrity, all that gossip nonsense..

NotACleverName said:

laurarichardson said:

NotACleverName said:

Why so angry? How does her writing a book about HER journey affect YOUR life in a negative way? Those who appreciate Prince for the musical genius he was will not change their mind about his contributions simply by reading Mayte's memoirs.

//This how you honor someone look at what Andre Cymone is doing. He knows a lot and has always given little or no information about why Prince even came to stay with his family. He is not out making a living with gossip. He is keeping the music alive. She had to have known the media would take the tidbits and make it negative to get click=money. The media wants us to believe that Prince was recreational drug user for 30 years and never missed a step. According to him he never had any medical issues is entire life as if he was some human person. You know he never had any flaws and so much as a bad day. The whole thing is absurd. He simply was another person who did not want to married at that time to that person. No reason for any women to carrying on about her ex for 20 years. What is she going to do in 10 years or 20 years from now.https://blog.thecurrent.org/2017/03/in-concert-and-conversation-prince-peers-pay-tribute-at-sxsw/ [Edited 3/19/17 5:40am]

AC is not talking about Prince's private life, true. But he's out giving concerts and riding the "I used to work with Prince" wave. They all are. He's singing Prince songs. Others are writing songs about him. Making t-shirts. Tatoos. And books. Everyone is riding that purple wave, some with better intentions than others, I think.

judy1023 said:

laurarichardson said:

judy1023 said:

I don't think Prince really moves on from his son's death. Do you really think unshakeable failth can heal him? He is a human after all. He has pain and joy like everybody else here.

http://extratv.com/2017/03/18/prince-destroyed-ashes-and-pictures-of-his-dead-son-he-had-it-all-burned/.

---- Yes, unshakable faith can heal you. He moved in got remarried and dated other women. He threw parties, traveled and everyone said he was generous and fun loving. Look at his life in the last 20 years and look at her last 20.

Thats the most profound statement Ive read around here for a long time.

Its the TRUTH..Princes faith was way beyond many peoples comprehension.

He literally gave the whole experience over to GOD.

He surely struggled but he managed and yes, its evidenced by the way he continued the upwards curve that was his life..

MMJas said:

Just wanted to share some thoughts:

*

* the decision to write a (autobiographical) book is not taken lightly. The author knows it will be scrutinized by the readers, in this instance by Prince's fans, family and associates and ultimately and more worryingly by the gutter press, who will not think twice before taking things out of context and creating these sensationalist headlines like "Prince Destroyed Ashes and Pictures of His Dead Son: He Had it All Burned", cleaverly leaving out the fact that that's what she was told by somebody in PP when she asked about them. And to those who are asking themselves why did she not take the ashes when she left: she did not leave. She was trying to make a new home for them in Spain, not realizing that at some point Prince would stop going there and she would not be returning to PP. She even states that only later (too late) she realized that she was the girl on her way out and Mani was the girl on the way in, exactly as she had witnessed happening before with other women (Carmen Electra, for instance).

*

* Prince was no saint. He was running around with all these women and making sure he chose women who were willing to accept that, perhaps each one of them thinking intimately that they were the one and one day he would realize it, if only they stuck around. That's what Mayte thought and that's what most of them thought, I believe. The ones that had a mind of their own and were not willing to accept such a situation left. This is probably why Prince chose women that were easily controlled and manipulated, that only wanted to please him and be a part of his glamorous life. Hence, most of them being (much) younger than him. This is true even later in his life, with Janelle and the lot. Not saying he was not helping them out and building their career, of course he was, but he also relished for sure in the company of those he could easily manipulate and those that were in awe of him. His constant need for attention and love so required it.

*

*Regarding Mayte’s comments about the pills: she clearly stated she did not see him do drugs, but she believes he might have done, it seems. Why is that so hard to believe? Remind me again what did he die of, please. Just because Prince said he did not take drugs doesn’t mean he did not. For a while I found that hard to believe also, mainly because of the whole narrative Prince himself fed us. But some of the closest people did not seem shocked by his death and others even alluded to knowing why it had happened. Yes, perhaps Sheila E was making sure his name was not tarnished by justifying his pill intake with joint pain. And perhaps all this his true, he did take pills, at first for pain management and later became addicted. So yes, she does mention pills in her book because she herself seems to realize that that was probably an issue already back then.

*

* About her talk about being under and Prince hypnotizing her: come on, can you not imagine that scenario without it being creepy? A lover laying down talking with her eyes closed about her wishes, dreams, projections, fears, etc, while her lover is caressing her? A type of meditation? It’s an intimate moment, almost like making love.

*

* The book is clearly not a tell all. There’s SO MUCH she could have said! She never portrays him badly, she merely explains what happened and of course, at times you feel compassionate for her and feel increadibly mad at Prince. After all, he was the adult there, in the sense that he was much older. She does not tarnish his name nor does she make him look bad. You get the sense that they were very much in love. Her with a father like figure, him with the naivety, lack of experience and the awe in her. She chooses not to go into Prince’s head, she leaves that part out and only mentions her vision and side of things. Never alluded at what he might be thinking concerning certain issues.

She was 16 when she met him and was 22 when she lost a baby. That family is no more. Talking about it and sharing it is her way of keeping that/her family alive.

*

* Prince must have battled many demons in his life. And probably one of those demons concerned his son and his marriage. Did he feel he was at fault for not allowing her to have the medical tests? Yes, I believe it was not her choice, you are even more naïve than she was if you think that anyone could have stood up to him. Did he realize that perhaps he was the carrier of that genetic defect and the realization weighed heavy on him, knowing that he might never father a child? Did his faith in God quiver after that, making him more willing to accept LG’s guidance into a religion that to him seemed to have more certainties?

*

* It’s awful to read some comments saying she is cashing in on her son’s death, or exploiting it. Only someone who has never lost a child could state such a thing. I know for a fact that most women who lose a child feel this intense need to talk about him/her, otherwise it makes them feel he has been forgotten and that’s the last thing they want. But in Mayte’s case, she was not allowed to talk about him. She was even made to pretend all was fine and totally avoid questions about Amir. To me it was no surprise to hear her publically state his name in the first opportunity she got. She had been prevented from doing so for many years. I see this book as some kind of catharsis for her. She never had any closure.

*

* Ultimately, she would have never been as well known had she not met Prince. He was pivotal in her life. But she was already making a career as a belly dancer and could have clearly made a living out of it if she had never met him. But she did. And he recognized her as an independent woman, thus allowing her some control over her life, but not all because basically he was a control freak. But it seems that she left that marriage only with a house, and she could have taken him to the cleaners, you do realize that? There was no prenup agreement. Mani herself demanded an allowance, something that Mayte never did. I find that very telling. I have no doubt that she loved him dearly. I usually go with my gut instinct and I feel she is coming from a good place. If she is cashing in on Prince’s death as well? A lot of people are. A lot of people will in the coming years, that’s for sure. She has been diagnosed with a disease that may hinder her future ability to work.After all, she’s a single mother working in a very harsh and fleeting area of work. Hopefully she will be able to focus all her love and affection on that little girl. What she and Prince endured was tremendously sad and heartbreaking. At least she is having the opportunity to be happy again. Sadly Prince died all alone, and most likely because once again he felt the need to be in control of everything, never giving anything away, projecting the all is good image, pushing people away and out of his life and never understanding that we, the people who loved him, would have still loved him no matter the flaws and weaknesses. It was his humanity we cherished.

I’m sorry for the long post. If a mod could please help me separate the paragraphs, I’d appreciate it.

[Edited 3/19/17 5:40am]

MMJas, I agree with everything you have written here.

ladygirl99 said:

Menes said:

Don't forget the upcoming concerts by bandmembers who are 'cashing in' as well so why no outrage?

There is no outrage because those are tributes by all acounts. Tributes are intended to show respect or admiration. I don't always agree with the tributes ( Madonna @ billboard) and I dont think monies should be exchanged. What about this upcoming book do you think would be interpreted as a tribute to Prince?

But some of those bandmembers criticized Prince over the last few years especially when he was alive are doing some of the upcoming concerts and I bet some of the same fans who are mad at Mayte might purchased a ticket to see those bandmembers. If a person doesn't like Mayte that is fine but it is very hypoctical to saying she is cashing in or milking but yet don't say crap about everyone else doing the same. It is like it is okay for others to make money off of Prince but not her because she was the wife and Prince's baby mother, they weren't. She may not be a musican but she influenced him during her time with him and went far than some other women around. And also she got criticism for doing those bellydance classes, so once again the hate on Mayte is beyond the book deal.

Yes I believe so. When it comes to reading a book about Prince or any public figure, I want to read about his human side not the manufactured side of him. That is the psychologist in me (even though I am not a license one). In other words, sometimes the truth is not always painless. Some fans want a feel good love story and fake fantasy about Prince, I want the truth as possible because it made him human. Even with the book, I am sure Mayte is going to keep other intimacy things to herself.

As I mentioned before, I am not a huge Mayte stan as I have this let live and live toward her but I am confused about this outrage while other people who said worse about Prince are giving passes and cashing in too in their way. There are some hidden motives going on.

All of this is a last gasp at fame by folk who wouldn't be famous if Prince never crossed their paths.

sonshine said:

TurnItUp said:

NewpowerScarfo said:

I seen an copy of this magazine at the supermarket today. I didn't get it.

I did. Bottom line there are things you're gonna hear about about Prince now that he's gone because the media couldn't take him down when he was still alive like they always wanted to. Just like they did Michael, Whitney and now Bill Cosby.

100 % truth.

AND April still hasn't arrived.

206Michelle said:

rogifan said:

tish9311 said: Why are people thinking that a book written by someone who was married to Prince in the 90s would give a better understanding of something that happened to him in 2016?

The death of their child happened in the mid 1990s. The death of a child, particularly of an only child, is so profound. People can move on with their lives, but the pain of the loss of a child is always there. Perhaps the pain of Amiir's death was a part of the pain Prince was experiencing in his 50s. For the record, my opinion is that I think he was in a lot of emotional pain as well as physical pain, and emotional pain #1 was the loss of his son.

[Edited 3/18/17 20:53pm]

I really dont know why you people are so worried and concerned.

Prince was not like any other Human being we have known in our lifetimes.

The Guy had superpowers...Lets face it.....

sooner or later these are the things that will remain in the forefront on peoples minds..

Prince was SPECIAL...no disrespect, he cant be likened to MJ or WHitney

He wont be tarnished too much by whatever the Media or anyone says.

He is just THAT Shiny.....

muleFunk said:

206Michelle said:

MMJas said:

Just wanted to share some thoughts:

*

* the decision to write a (autobiographical) book is not taken lightly. The author knows it will be scrutinized by the readers, in this instance by Prince's fans, family and associates and ultimately and more worryingly by the gutter press, who will not think twice before taking things out of context and creating these sensationalist headlines like "Prince Destroyed Ashes and Pictures of His Dead Son: He Had it All Burned", cleaverly leaving out the fact that that's what she was told by somebody in PP when she asked about them. And to those who are asking themselves why did she not take the ashes when she left: she did not leave. She was trying to make a new home for them in Spain, not realizing that at some point Prince would stop going there and she would not be returning to PP. She even states that only later (too late) she realized that she was the girl on her way out and Mani was the girl on the way in, exactly as she had witnessed happening before with other women (Carmen Electra, for instance).

*

* Prince was no saint. He was running around with all these women and making sure he chose women who were willing to accept that, perhaps each one of them thinking intimately that they were the one and one day he would realize it, if only they stuck around. That's what Mayte thought and that's what most of them thought, I believe. The ones that had a mind of their own and were not willing to accept such a situation left. This is probably why Prince chose women that were easily controlled and manipulated, that only wanted to please him and be a part of his glamorous life. Hence, most of them being (much) younger than him. This is true even later in his life, with Janelle and the lot. Not saying he was not helping them out and building their career, of course he was, but he also relished for sure in the company of those he could easily manipulate and those that were in awe of him. His constant need for attention and love so required it.

*

*Regarding Mayte’s comments about the pills: she clearly stated she did not see him do drugs, but she believes he might have done, it seems. Why is that so hard to believe? Remind me again what did he die of, please. Just because Prince said he did not take drugs doesn’t mean he did not. For a while I found that hard to believe also, mainly because of the whole narrative Prince himself fed us. But some of the closest people did not seem shocked by his death and others even alluded to knowing why it had happened. Yes, perhaps Sheila E was making sure his name was not tarnished by justifying his pill intake with joint pain. And perhaps all this his true, he did take pills, at first for pain management and later became addicted. So yes, she does mention pills in her book because she herself seems to realize that that was probably an issue already back then.

*

* About her talk about being under and Prince hypnotizing her: come on, can you not imagine that scenario without it being creepy? A lover laying down talking with her eyes closed about her wishes, dreams, projections, fears, etc, while her lover is caressing her? A type of meditation? It’s an intimate moment, almost like making love.

*

* The book is clearly not a tell all. There’s SO MUCH she could have said! She never portrays him badly, she merely explains what happened and of course, at times you feel compassionate for her and feel increadibly mad at Prince. After all, he was the adult there, in the sense that he was much older. She does not tarnish his name nor does she make him look bad. You get the sense that they were very much in love. Her with a father like figure, him with the naivety, lack of experience and the awe in her. She chooses not to go into Prince’s head, she leaves that part out and only mentions her vision and side of things. Never alluded at what he might be thinking concerning certain issues.

She was 16 when she met him and was 22 when she lost a baby. That family is no more. Talking about it and sharing it is her way of keeping that/her family alive.

*

* Prince must have battled many demons in his life. And probably one of those demons concerned his son and his marriage. Did he feel he was at fault for not allowing her to have the medical tests? Yes, I believe it was not her choice, you are even more naïve than she was if you think that anyone could have stood up to him. Did he realize that perhaps he was the carrier of that genetic defect and the realization weighed heavy on him, knowing that he might never father a child? Did his faith in God quiver after that, making him more willing to accept LG’s guidance into a religion that to him seemed to have more certainties?

*

* It’s awful to read some comments saying she is cashing in on her son’s death, or exploiting it. Only someone who has never lost a child could state such a thing. I know for a fact that most women who lose a child feel this intense need to talk about him/her, otherwise it makes them feel he has been forgotten and that’s the last thing they want. But in Mayte’s case, she was not allowed to talk about him. She was even made to pretend all was fine and totally avoid questions about Amir. To me it was no surprise to hear her publically state his name in the first opportunity she got. She had been prevented from doing so for many years. I see this book as some kind of catharsis for her. She never had any closure.

*

* Ultimately, she would have never been as well known had she not met Prince. He was pivotal in her life. But she was already making a career as a belly dancer and could have clearly made a living out of it if she had never met him. But she did. And he recognized her as an independent woman, thus allowing her some control over her life, but not all because basically he was a control freak. But it seems that she left that marriage only with a house, and she could have taken him to the cleaners, you do realize that? There was no prenup agreement. Mani herself demanded an allowance, something that Mayte never did. I find that very telling. I have no doubt that she loved him dearly. I usually go with my gut instinct and I feel she is coming from a good place. If she is cashing in on Prince’s death as well? A lot of people are. A lot of people will in the coming years, that’s for sure. She has been diagnosed with a disease that may hinder her future ability to work.After all, she’s a single mother working in a very harsh and fleeting area of work. Hopefully she will be able to focus all her love and affection on that little girl. What she and Prince endured was tremendously sad and heartbreaking. At least she is having the opportunity to be happy again. Sadly Prince died all alone, and most likely because once again he felt the need to be in control of everything, never giving anything away, projecting the all is good image, pushing people away and out of his life and never understanding that we, the people who loved him, would have still loved him no matter the flaws and weaknesses. It was his humanity we cherished.

I’m sorry for the long post. If a mod could please help me separate the paragraphs, I’d appreciate it.

[Edited 3/19/17 5:40am]

MMJas, I agree with everything you have written here.

Thank you for your post. I agree with you as well. I look forward to reading the book and keeping an open mind. Will reach my own opinions. I will still hold Prince and his legacy in the utmost regard.

I am powerless over people, places and things...always good for me to remember and don't expect to sway anyone else.

muleFunk said:

I saw a comment about Prince not being an angel.

Of course he wasn't!

If anything he was the son of John R Nelson just on a larger scale.

Prince did everything his daddy did except scatter kids all over creation.

Prince on drugs......

I believe he was taking pain killers. You can be prescribed pain killers and not abuse them.

I wish Mayte Garcia the best of luck but this was an obvious money grab.

laurarichardson said:

sonshine said:

The attention y'all are giving this subject is doing more to "harm his legacy" than the very thing you are condemning. From what I've read of the excerpts she is not even remotely dogging him. Did any of you actually read her book? Or are you basing all your nasty comments on suppositions and assumptions?? He doesn't come off bad in anything I've read so far. Maybe you shouldn't read between the lines so much. Or maybe you shouldn't project your own ideas about his lifestyle into what she wrote. It's not her fault you twist her memories into your own conclusions then accuse her of things she never even wrote. Just like it's not her fault the media takes things out of context. Hello?! Most of you are doing the exact thing here. The tone of the book is gentle if anything if the excerpts are any indication. What were you expecting anyway? There are no big secrets here. We all know how their story goes. Did you expect her to make up some fairy tale? If the truth about their relationship disturbs you how is that her fsult? Don't read the book if you can't handle the truth. Don't read the book if you dont agree with her decision to write it. The comments here are 100 times worse than anything I've read so far that she's written.

It is her fault that the media is taking things out of context. Trust these bits of twisted information her a part of marketing the book. She also is not correcting any of it. I have a problem with the graphic description of the child something so personal should have stayed unknown. Also there is no reason for her to mention drugs if she did see him take any. She is literally scoffing at the fact they he may have had pain. Also please stop staying the truth because unless she has wings coming out of her backside she has faults as well as he has we are just not hearing about hers.

So it's fine for parents to share the descriptions and photos of their children who are born normal-looking and healthy, but it's not okay for parents to share the descriptions and photos of their children who are born with a disability like Pfeiffer Syndrome? Just because he was born with a disability that caused him to be sickly and have deformities, he is less worthy of having his mother talk about him? Just because the descriptions of Amiir will be uncomfortable because he had a severe disability, she cannot share her experience of giving birth to her child or the short life that he lived? Is that what you are saying?

--

If you don't want to read the description of Amiir, then DON'T READ IT!!! Pfeiffer Syndrome is not pretty. The details are going to be graphic and disturbing, and that is the reality of Pfeiffer Syndrome. There are a lot of things in this world that aren't pretty. That doesn't mean that people should keep quiet about uncomfortable topics. He was her son, and she should not be ashamed to share about him just because of the way he looked or his disability.

206Michelle said:

laurarichardson said:

sonshine said: It is her fault that the media is taking things out of context. Trust these bits of twisted information her a part of marketing the book. She also is not correcting any of it. I have a problem with the graphic description of the child something so personal should have stayed unknown. Also there is no reason for her to mention drugs if she did see him take any. She is literally scoffing at the fact they he may have had pain. Also please stop staying the truth because unless she has wings coming out of her backside she has faults as well as he has we are just not hearing about hers.

So it's fine for parents to share the descriptions and photos of their children who are born normal-looking and healthy, but it's not okay for parents to share the descriptions and photos of their children who are born with a disability like Pfeiffer Syndrome? Just because he was born with a disability that caused him to be sickly and have deformities, he is less worthy of having his mother talk about him? Just because the descriptions of Amiir will be uncomfortable because he had a severe disability, she cannot share her experience of giving birth to her child or the short life that he lived? Is that what you are saying?

--

If you don't want to read the description of Amiir, then DON'T READ IT!!! Pfeiffer Syndrome is not pretty. The details are going to be graphic and disturbing, and that is the reality of Pfeiffer Syndrome. There are a lot of things in this world that aren't pretty. That doesn't mean that people should keep quiet about uncomfortable topics. He was her son, and she should not be ashamed to share about him just because of the way he looked or his disability.

I think she is trying to say that some details should have been sacred for only Prince, herself , and family to know about the baby's appearance. I feel that some celebrities want something that only they know for themselves because the public know so much about their lifes already and would like to keep something to themselves. This is not about shaming the appearance or disability of Amiir.

rogifan said:

muleFunk said:

All of this is a last gasp at fame by folk who wouldn't be famous if Prince never crossed their paths.

I was critical of Sheila for plastering his love symbol everywhere but I think most of these shows are to keep his memory alive and perhaps a healing process too for those involved. I have no problem with the Rev or original NPG going out on the road. Shelby, Liv and Judith played the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis last night, the few clips I've seen on social media they sounded great. I think it's cool that they've all remained friends and are doing their part to keep his memory alive. I can't be cynical about that as it's mostly about the music, not his private life.

So, they performed for free, right?

rogifan said:

muleFunk said:

100 % truth.

AND April still hasn't arrived.

I can't agree about Bill Cosby and I think Whitney and Michael took themeselved down but it is true that while Prince was alive there was very little if any scandal attached to him, especially the last 10-15 years of his life. The public loves scandal and it sells magazines and provides page views so if the media can now manufacture some around Prince they'll do it in a heartbeat.

I totally agree about Michael and Whitney, as much as I love both of them, their demises were self-inflicted to a large degree. I don't think Mayte's book is going to tarnish Prince's legacy much, if at all, and I don't know why people are worried about this. We already know Prince was eccentric and flawed...but also incredibly gifted and compassionate.

laurarichardson said:

//This how you honor someone look at what Andre Cymone is doing. He knows a lot and has always given little or no information about why Prince even came to stay with his family. He is not out making a living with gossip. He is keeping the music alive. She had to have known the media would take the tidbits and make it negative to get click=money. The media wants us to believe that Prince was recreational drug user for 30 years and never missed a step. According to him he never had any medical issues is entire life as if he was some human person. You know he never had any flaws and so much as a bad day. The whole thing is absurd. He simply was another person who did not want to married at that time to that person. No reason for any women to carrying on about her ex for 20 years. What is she going to do in 10 years or 20 years from now.https://blog.thecurrent.org/2017/03/in-concert-and-conversation-prince-peers-pay-tribute-at-sxsw/ [Edited 3/19/17 5:40am]

She had to have known the media would take tidbits and make it negative?...Did Andre Cymone know that the media was going to use him in a bad way when he sat down with them for the This is how it happened (or whatever) the show is called? NO he didn't. He even made a statement about it.

Thank you MMJas & 206Michelle, for your beautiful posts. You both nailed it.