Prince allegedly succumbed to aids after refusing medical treatment, as claimed by a US tabloid magazine. The National Equirer may be facing a possible lawsuit from Prince's estate for libel against the deceased.
According to The Telegraph, the National Enquirer ran a front-page story of Prince having suffered of aids before his death following refusal for treatment. The legendary musician was allegedly diagnosed with HIV in the 1990s, which developed to aids at the end of last year. He was reportedly awaiting his passing for quite a while.
Prince allegedly denied treatment hoping that divine intervention would save him. According to the Daily Mail, the National Enquirer reported that Prince only weighed a mere 80 lbs at the time of his death. The tabloid's sources claimed that Prince suffered from an extreme drop in blood count, as well as temperature and was iron deficient, as well as weak and disorganized. He reportedly visited a pharmacy shortly before his death to pick up some medication for what was believed to be a dangerous case of influenza.
The tabloid also claimed that Prince had an addiction to Percocet, an opiate pain medication used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Anonymous police sources revealed that painkillers were found in the 57-year old's home following his demise.
Other rumors emerged of Prince dying from a Percocet overdose. It was reported that only six days prior to his death at his Paisley Park home, he nearly died aboard his private jet for the same reason and had to be rushed to a hospital for a "save shot."
Lawyer L. Londell McMillan, who knew Prince for 25 years and served as his manager at one point, denied the addiction allegations. McMillan insisted that the musician lived a "clean and healthy lifestyle" and that his death came as a shock.
Meanwhile, it was speculated whether Prince's estate could sue National Enquirer for possible libel. According to The Wrap, Journalism Professor Kate Pickert said that it may not be legally possible for an entity to draw up a lawsuit for libel against the deceased. She said, "Even if it were possible, a public figure, or his representatives, alleging libel would first have to prove that the information published was untrue and that the outlet knew it was untrue or acted with reckless disregard for whether it was true."
Defamation lawyer Joe Tacopina suggested that it may be possible for Prince's estate to sue as long as they show a "direct correlation between the allegation that he had AIDS and the drop in sales." However, this could prove difficult to prove.
Prince Rogers Nelson, otherwise known professionally as Prince, was found dead in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 21. His cause of death is yet to be determined.
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