Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia on singer's drug use: 'There were disturbing occasions'

Mayte Garcia, an ex-wife of late singer Prince, has revealed how she never suspected the Purple Rain hitmaker was taking drugs during their marriage but did experience some questionable incidences.

In her new memoir, titled The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince, Garcia details their marriage and how they met in 1990 when she was aged 16. Prince died in April 2016 after accidentally overdosing on powerful painkiller fentanyl. According to an excerpt published by People, Garcia states that she never witnessed Prince taking drugs.

The dancer writes: "I never actually saw Prince doing drugs. He didn't want me to. I'm sure he knew what my reaction would be. [There were] disturbing occasions when he told me he was 'sick' or had a 'migraine'." Garcia adds: "Looking back now and being much older I can see it was something else. I never saw him do anything – not even take an aspirin."

Shortly after their wedding in 1996, Garcia is said to have received a phone call from one of Prince's bodyguards revealing the singer had been rushed to hospital to have his stomach pumped after allegedly mixing wine with an aspirin. During another incident, Prince reportedly asked Garcia to "flush some pills [that he told her he'd left] down the toilet. I didn't question what it was."

Elsewhere in the memoir, Garcia reveals how she was invited to join Prince's 1992 Diamonds And Pearls tour after her mother sent in a video of the teen belly dancing.

Sharing her thoughts of Prince during their first meeting outside his dressing room, Garcia writes: "This man wearing eyeliner, heels and ladies' perfume somehow managed to be more masculine than the burly bodyguard."

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World singer is said to have asked if Garcia was really 16-years-old and soon began calling her every night. In a note he penned to the dancer, Prince wrote: "U're so pretty. It cheers me up if someone tries to ruin my day. Many do ... Thank u 4 coming into my world."

Garcia, now aged 43, claims that Prince "never denied that the occasional impure thought crossed his mind" but states they did not have a sexual relationship until later. The dancer graduated from high school at the age of 17 and soon moved into Prince's famous Paisley Park home, after which he became her legal guardian.

When she was 19, Prince allegedly advised Garcia to start taking birth control and she lost her virginity to the singer shortly after. Garcia writes in her memoir: "A week or so later I wrote in bold in my journal: 'February 9, 1993 – not a virgin'. And I drew a winkey smiley face."

According to Garcia, Prince's behaviour became controlling as their relationship progressed. The singer reportedly dictated what clothes she would wear and once docked her pay on tour when she put on weight. Recalling one incident when she was seen eating whipped cream backstage, Garcia writes: "Twenty minutes later, the tour accountant came in and said, 'I'm so sorry I have to dock your pay this week'."

Garcia married Prince on Valentine's Day in 1996 when she was 22 and the singer aged 37. Eight months after tying the knot, Garcia gave birth to their son Amiir, also known as Boy Gregory. However, the newborn was born with Pfeiffer syndrome and died shortly after.

The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince is set to be published on 4 April 2017.