Drugs found at Prince’s home in the aftermath of his death were mislabeled, according to a new report.
The star was discovered dead in the elevator of his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota on April 21, and an autopsy confirmed he’d accidentally taken a lethal dose of the drug fentanyl.
Now a source has told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that pills marked as hydrocodone actually contained the much more powerful opioid, which ultimately killed him.
The publication says investigators are working under the assumption that Prince didn’t know the counterfeit drugs, stashed in aspirin and vitamin C bottles, contained fentanyl — which is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
The Star Tribune also claims the beloved musician weighed just 112 pounds at his death at the age of 57.
His decadelong addiction to painkillers started after he began taking medication for a hip injury, and those closest to him were aware of his problem.
“[Prince] took the pills to keep the show going,” his longtime and musical collaborator Sky Dangcil told Us Weekly, adding that “everyone saw that his hips were turning into a bigger problem. He was always ‘on,’ so he wouldn’t complain or say anything was wrong.” Kim Berry, Prince’s longtime hairstylist, told Us similar stories about Prince’s use of painkillers.
“He was always in a lot of pain,” she told Us, adding that the legendary musician’s tendency of “jumping off speakers with 4-inch shoes on” necessitated the drugs. “Walking around with a cane was not just to look supercool.”
However, tests on Prince prior to his death didn’t show fentanyl in his system, meaning it was unlikely he was a longtime abuser of that particular drug.
Prince was due to meet with an opioid addiction expert on April 22, one day after his tragic death.
Christina Garibaldi and Ian Drew discussed all the latest during Us Weekly‘s Facebook Live News Update. Check it out!
