Mayte Garcia, Prince’s Ex-Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Prince and Mayte

Prince and Mayte Garcia. (Getty)

Mayte Garcia and the legendary musician Prince were married for three years and had one child. TMZ is reporting that Prince passed away Thursday at the age of 57. The couple’s relationship seemed like a fairytale until it went sour. Garcia later said the relationship  “screwed” her for life.

Here’s what you need to know about his first wife.


1. They first met in 1990 When She Auditioned to Dance on His Tour

mayte garcia

Actress Mayte Garcia first met Prince when she auditioned for his tour in the early 1990s. (Getty)

The couple first came into contact in 1990, when Garcia’s mom submitted a video cassette of her daughter’s dancing to Prince. While on tour, the two met and Prince hired her to dance with his Diamonds and pearls tour. She grew to have a prominent role in his albums. She provided English and Spanish vocals for his albums.


2. He Wrote ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ for Her and Produced an Album for Her

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 02: Actress Mayte Garcia arrives at Chaz Dean's Summer Party Benefiting Love Is Louder on August 2, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Love is Louder)

Actress Mayte Garcia had a fairy tale relationship with Prince for a while. (Getty)

Prince made Garcia a front-and-center focus of his career for quite some time. Before they were married, he wrote a song for her in 1994 called “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” He then produced an entire album for her in 1995, “Child of the Sun.” Their relationship seemed like a fairy tale.


3. They Were Married on Valentine’s Day in 1996 and Had One Child Who Died a Week After He Was Born

In 1996, they were married on Valentine’s Day. Garcia was 22 and Prince was 37. She designed her wedding dress herself, with the help of Prince’s wardrobe designer. She wore a necklace that bore Prince’s glyph and white doves were released after the wedding. Just two months later, she was pregnant.

Boy Gregory was born on October 16, 1996. He died just a week later because he was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a defect in the skull. She said in a later interview that they had lost a second child also, but they didn’t share this with the media at the time.

The loss of their children led to the end of their marriage. Their marriage was annulled on their third anniversary in 1999 and they were formally divorced in 2000.


4. She Said Their ‘Bizarre’ Relationship ‘Screwed’ Her for Life And She Just Auctioned Off His Belongings This Year

https://www.instagram.com/p/_QTklFO74R/?taken-by=maytejannell&hl=en

Garcia has had several relationships since Prince, including one with Tommy Lee, the drummer for Motley Crue. In 2015, she shared that her marriage to Prince had “screwed” her for life. Ever since their marriage, she couldn’t find lasting love. She said she wasn’t still in love with him, but would always love him. She stressed that she thought he was a great guy.

It took Mayte a long time to let go of Prince. It was just last month, in March, that she began selling off his belongings, Inquisitr reported. The items she auctioned off included her engagement ring, their wedding china, rhinestone-encrusted handcuffs, and a vintage acoustic guitar that Prince had used.


5. She Runs a Rescue for Animals

Garcia spends much of her time today running a rescue for animals. The rescue is called Mayte’s Rescue and it focuses on finding loving homes for shelter dogs and cats. She focuses specifically on pets that have been abused or neglected, to help them find a happier life. She screens applicants closely to make sure they’re ready for the special needs of these special pets.