The results of Prince’s autopsy won’t be available for weeks to come, but that hasn’t stemmed the tide of speculation that his cause of death was linked to his use of painkillers. Now, it appears that the beloved megastar died just one day before he was slated to meet with a doctor nationally-renowned for dealing with opioid addiction.
According to the Star Tribune, Dr. Howard Kornfeld received a call from Prince’s reps on April 20th, in light of the artist “dealing with a grave medical emergency.” Kornfeld dispatched his son, Andrew, to take an initial meeting with Prince at his Minnesota home the following day, while the elder Kornfeld made plans to arrive from California on the 22nd.
Andrew arrived at Prince’s residence at 9:30 a.m., but neither he nor the artist’s representatives were able to locate him. The paper reports that Prince’s body was found in an elevator shortly thereafter, and that it was Kornfeld himself who called 911.
Regardless of whether they resulted in his death directly, it’s clear that Prince wrestled with his use of prescription drugs. He was treated for an overdose of Percocet following the emergency landing of his plane a week before his death, and authorities found opioids in his home during their investigation.
William Mauzy, a Minneapolis attorney representing the Kornfelds, said that purpose of the meeting was to evaluate Prince’s health and “devise a treatment plan,” adding that “the doctor was planning on a lifesaving mission.”
Kornfeld’s practice, Recovery Without Walls, touts its services as “specializing in innovative, evidence-based medical treatment for chronic pain and drug and alcohol addiction.”
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