Investigators probing the death of pop star Prince are focusing on his use of painkillers, the
Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Painkillers, reportedly taken by the singer to treat injuries sustained from years of strenuous concert performances, appear to have been a factor in his death on Thursday and in an emergency landing of his plane six days earlier, according to the paper.
Michael Padden, attorney for two of Prince's siblings, Lorna Nelson and Duane Nelson, told the Tribune that the two told him many times that Prince had a "substantial" drug problem with the prescription painkiller Percocet and cocaine.
Lorna Nelson and Duane Nelson have since died.
"[B]oth were really concerned it would end his life prematurely," Padden said, adding that Duane Nelson said Prince paid straw buyers to get prescriptions for him.
But others told the Star Tribune they never saw Prince use drugs.
Former band member Sheila E. said she has "never seen him take anything, not even aspirin, in the 38 years I've known him."
Robbie Paster, who was Prince’s valet and personal assistant from 1984 to 1992, told the paper, "I never knew of any opiate or cocaine problem. There's no way you can do both of those and be as driven as he was. I never saw it."
TMZ reported last week that the emergency landing was to treat Prince for an opiate overdose. Percocet is an opiate.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.