The death of music icon Prince has many still grieving and also seeking answers of how the pop star died and lived. There have been many rumors of drug use and chronic pain that have flooded the media but until the autopsy results are released, no one really knows the full extent of what Prince was going through or what medications he may have been taking. But one of Prince’s longtime bodyguards has come forward to dispel some of these rumors.
Chris Gaither had been working for Prince since 2012 and considered him not only his employer but also his friend. At the recent memorial service held for Prince, he said, “I packed this man’s bag on the daily. I have been on tour with him for months. So if anybody had an addiction that would be something you would see. That would be something that you would know.”
Gaither went on to state that he never saw any behavior or actions that hinted that Prince had a dependency on pain medication. In the four years he worked for Prince, he did say that doctors had seen Prince at different times but he never saw them dispensing painkillers. He states “He may have had an issue where he had to go to the doctor and they prescribed something for him, but as far as him abusing stuff, that’s not him. When it comes to health, he’s the fittest person. Only time doctors would come in, they would give him a B-12 shot, something like that, when he might have been feeling sick or low on energy. But other than that, he wasn’t taking stuff. He had more energy than everybody just off his natural presence.”
So far, the official cause of death for Prince has not been released. It has been confirmed that he was about to be treated by an addiction and chronic pain specialist shortly before his death. Reportedly, police found painkillers on Prince’s person, and in the residence.
