Prince was trying to beat a painkiller addiction before he died

The legendary musician Prince was trying to meet with a doctor about a painkiller addiction the day before he died, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Representatives of Prince reached out to Dr. Howard Kornfeld on the night of April 20 and told him Prince was "dealing with a grave medical emergency."

While Howard Kornfeld could not clear his schedule to fly out the next day, he sent his son, Andrew Kornfeld, ahead of him and planned to follow later. When Andrew Kornfeld arrived at Paisley Park at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Prince's representatives were unable to locate Prince. Andrew Kornfeld was one of three people who discovered the musician unconscious in an elevator, and it was Andrew who placed the 911 call.

Painkillers were also discovered at the scene — investigators are actively working to learn how Prince got the pills, and who provided them.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Sources said it was hoped Prince would agree to travel to California for round-the-clock support at Kornfeld's renowned clinic, the Star Tribune reports. Six days before his death, Prince's plane made an emergency landing; those with direct knowledge of the situation said the landing occurred because Prince was overdosing on opioids.