As law enforcement officials continue to probe the doctors and pharmacies that may have supplied Prince with prescription drugs, some people in the late singer’s inner circle have opened up about the last decade or so of his life.
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In the new issue of Us Weekly, one of Prince’s former collaborators, Sky Dangcil, alleged the “Purple Rain” legend began taking opioids to deal with chronic hip pain, saying Prince “took the pills to keep the show going.” When the pain became too much, Dangcil said Prince would fly to his $12 million estate in Turks and Caicos to “rest his hips.”
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Dangcil, who DJ’d and played violin for Prince from 2000-2007, said it was clear to those around him that Prince’s hips were turning into a “bigger problem,” but he was “always ‘on,’ so he wouldn’t complain of say anything was wrong.”
On Wednesday, an official told the Associated Press that the search for possible Internet suppliers of medications includes the combing of computer hard drives from Prince’s Minnesota home, where he was found dead on April 21. The official said investigators want to determine whether any doctor broke the law by overprescribing drugs or prescribing drugs without first giving Prince a requisite physical.
Kim Berry, longtime hairdresser for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, told Us that, in private, Prince “was always in a lot of pain,” speculating that his reported addiction to opioids probably stemmed from his tireless commitment to music combined with “30 years of jumping off speakers with 4-inch shoes on.”
At least two doctors have been identified as having contact with Prince or his staff before he died. Neither is accused of wrongdoing.