Prince’s Huge Struggle with Opioids Come to Light After Search Warrant
Court documents unsealed in the investigation into Prince’s death paint a picture of a man struggling with an addiction to prescription opioids and withdrawal, with various pills stashed in bottles around the pop superstar’s suburban Minneapolis studio and estate. But the search warrants and affidavits unsealed Monday shed no new light on how Prince got the fentanyl that killed him. The documents were unsealed after a yearlong investigation into Prince’s death. They show authorities searched Paisley Park, cellphone records of Prince’s associates, and Prince’s email accounts to try to determine how he got the fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug 50 times more powerful than heroin. The documents don’t reveal answers to that question, but do provide the most details yet seen on Prince’s struggle with addiction to prescription opioids in the days before he died.
Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park estate on April 21 last year. Just six days earlier, he passed out on a plane and had to be revived with two doses of a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.
Associates at Paisley Park also told investigators that Prince was recently “going through withdrawals, which are believed to be the result of the abuse of prescription medication,”. A search of Prince’s home yielded numerous pills in various containers. Some were in prescription bottles for Johnson, Prince’s bodyguard to keep the star’s anonymity. Some pills in other bottles were marked “Watson 853,” a label used for a drug that is a mix of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, another opioid painkiller. Last August, an official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press that at least one of those pills tested positive for fentanyl, meaning the pill was counterfeit and obtained illegally. In addition to the dozens of pills recovered, authorities also found a pamphlet for an addiction recovery center in California. The day before Prince died, Paisley Park staffers contacted the California addiction specialist as they were trying to get Prince help. The documents also say some of the drugs in Prince’s bedroom were in a suitcase with the name “Peter Bravestrong” on it. Police believe Bravestrong was an alias that Prince used when he traveled. The brochure for the rehab center might give suspect that Prince was considering to finally address his pain pills addiction that started with his hip replacement surgery in 2010. Apparently, he was still in constant pain and never fully recovered.
Was Prince’s Finally Ready to Address His Addiction Before His Death?
Susan Z’s Conclusion:
No, not quite yet.
The World:
The card represents success out in the world. I feel this card shows his career and music was everything to him and believed he could handle the pain and the addiction and keep on performing and his addiction from his fans.
Eight of Swords:
This card represents fear keeping one bound to a situation. I believe this card shows at some level, regardless of the damage it was doing to his health, he did not want to face the excruciating pain he experienced without the drugs, so was hesitant to quit.
Queen of Cups:
This card represents a woman who is sensitive, psychic and empathetic. I feel this is possibly one of his sisters who was trying to emotionally support him through this but also encouraging him to seek help.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.