Prince’s lawyer says singer was not a drug addict

Prince’s long-time lawyer has called the singer’s death a shock and disputed suggestions he had a drug addiction.

Prince was found dead in Paisley Park, his home and vast recording studio, in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on Thursday, at the age of 57.

A postmortem was conducted, but results will not be in for weeks. Police have said there was no indication of suicide.

The lawyer, L Londell McMillan, had known Prince for 25 years and was once his manager. He spoke to Prince the Sunday before Prince died. That was after Prince’s plane had made an emergency landing because the singer had a medical emergency. Prince assured McMillan he was fine.

“He said he was doing perfect,” McMillan recalled. “He said, ‘Okay, I’ll call you soon’.”

Celebrity website, TMZ, reported that Prince had been treated for an overdose of a powerful painkiller, while travelling home from concerts in Atlanta. The site reported that Prince’s plane made an emergency landing on April 15, in Moline, Illinois, where he was briefly admitted to hospital.

Prince had postponed concerts in Atlanta, citing an illness, but rescheduled and performed them on April 14.

Asked about the TMZ report, McMillan said that while Prince might have been in pain and might have taken medication from time to time, he was “not on any drugs that would be any cause for concern”.

“People use medication. The question is: ‘are you on meds in a dangerous way’?” he said.

McMillan said that Prince, a vegan, was known for his clean lifestyle.

“Everybody who knows Prince knows he wasn’t walking around drugged-up,” Mr McMillan said. “That’s foolish. No one ever saw Prince and said ‘He looks high’. It wasn’t what he was about.”

McMillan also said Prince was in great spirits.

“Prince had an amazing life. He enjoyed life,” he said. “He had a lot of fun.”

McMillan, whose clients also included Michael Jackson, said he owed his career to Prince. He managed the star amid Prince’s battles with his label, Warner Bros Records. Prince credited him with coming up with the title The Artist, when Prince stopped using his name and took on a symbol, instead, as part of that battle.

“I’m shocked and overwhelmed,” McMillan said of Prince’s death.

He was among those present for a private and intimate memorial service at Paisley Park, on Saturday. Prince was cremated.

“It was very loving and special, solemn and very appreciative,” McMillan said. “I think he would have been proud of how we celebrated his life.”