More pieces to add to the puzzle. Prince battled frequent sore throats and stomach pains before his death earlier this month at the age of 57, according to his personal chef.
Ray Roberts told the Associated Press that the “Purple Rain” singer, who was vegetarian, started requesting items that were “easier to digest,” including smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
The chef, who cooked for Prince for almost three years, noted that the Grammy winner "wasn’t himself probably the last month or two" before he was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21.
Roberts told the AP that Prince's diet began to change and he was eating less and drinking less water and looked like he was losing weight. "I think he was just struggling with being sick a lot," he added.
Investigators are examining whether the legendary singer died of an overdose. He was reportedly taking painkillers to cope with severe hip pain following a 2010 surgery and was said to have entered an outpatient treatment program.
Just days before his death, Prince was briefly hospitalized after his private plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Illinois. TMZ later reported that he had overdosed on Percocet and allegedly required a “save shot.”
An autopsy on the “Controversy” crooner was completed on Friday, April 22, but results are still pending.
Roberts added that Prince showed no signs of weakness and “not even a hint” that he was taking drugs. The chef last saw the singer the night before he died, when he cooked Prince a roasted red pepper bisque with a kale and spring vegetable salad, but he never ate it.
