Prince Rogers Nelson died on April 21, 2016, of an accidental drug overdose. The artist was found in an elevator inside his Paisley Park mansion, and we soon learned after Prince’s death that he had been quietly going through a tough time. An investigation into the circumstances of Prince’s final days and untimely death would eventually determine that the musician had grown frail and was dealing with considerable, potentially career-debilitating pain. Apart from hip pains, his fingers were also giving him trouble, and to manage his situation Prince had at some point turned to opioid painkillers. Prince’s peers knew him as an advocate of a drug-free lifestyle, which may or may not be why he sourced at least some of his painkillers covertly under the name of his bodyguard, Kirk Johnson. However, he took other medication as well, which is what ultimately killed him.
The pills that killed Prince weren’t prescription medication. Instead, they were extremely powerful fentanyl pills that were mislabeled as a weaker drug. Prince, who only weighed around 110 pounds at the time, didn’t know how strong the pills were, and ended up accidentally taking a lethal dose. Its still unclear just who he got the deadly drug from.
Tragically, this wasn’t Prince’s first overdose. On April 14 — just a week before his death — his plane had to make an emergency landing after a concert and he had to be revived.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
