Since Prince’s April 21 death, many reports have indicated that he was addicted to painkillers. Now, a California-based doctor has come forward saying he had been called by the musician’s reps to help treat this problem.
However, the person he sent to help Prince got there too late - his arrival occurred around the same time that the “Purple Rain” singer’s body was found lifeless in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound.
Dr. Howard Kornfeld - founder and medical director of Recovery Without Walls, which specializes in “innovative, evidence-based medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction” - said via his attorney William Mauzy that he was called April 20 by the music icon’s reps because Prince “was dealing with a grave medical emergency.”
The Mill Valley, Calif.-based doctor could not meet with the singer right away due to other obligations, so he sent his son/colleague Andrew Kornfeld to Minnesota to explain their treatment process instead.
“The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan,” said Mauzy, speaking on behalf of the Kornfelds. “The doctor was planning on a lifesaving mission.”
When Andrew first got to Paisley Park, around 9:30 a.m. April 21, the two staff members present could not find the musician. Shortly after his arrival, Prince’s unconscious body was discovered in an elevator. It was Andrew who made the call to 911.
Although no foul play is suspected, an investigation into Prince’s death is ongoing, and authorities are awaiting the results of a toxicology report. The Drug Enforcement Administration is working with the Carver County sheriff’s office since prescription painkillers were found at the scene. The job of the DEA is to determine who prescribed the pills to Prince and where he obtained them.
Sources said Prince had a history of using Percocet, which may have been taken to treat ongoing hip pain and other ailments that came from being a professional performer for the majority of his life.
Prince was 57 years old at the time of his death.
