Prince at the Grammys in 2015. (Getty)
Prince was hospitalized on April 15, about a week before his death, after his jet made an emergency landing in Illinois, on the way back from two concerts in Atlanta, Georgia.
His plane made an unscheduled stop at Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, at about 1 a.m., TMZ reported at the time. His representatives said Prince had been battling the flu and completed the trip home to Minnesota, about 40 minutes away, after a brief stay in the hospital.
The legendary pop singer had also cancelled two shows on April 7 in Atlanta, also citing the flu.
But TMZ is now reporting that it was a drug overdose that landed Prince in the hospital in Illinois on April 15, not the flu.
The legendary singer’s overdose was triggered by Percocet, an opiate painkiller, TMZ reports. He was given the prescription drug for hip pain, the site reports.
Sources tell TMZ that Prince was given what the site called a “save shot” to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, is a life-saving drug that is used as an antidote for opiate overdoses.
“Naloxone blocks or reverses the effects of opioid medication, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic,” according to Drugs.com. “Naloxone is used to treat a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation. This medicine should not be used in place of emergency medical care for an overdose.”
A box of the overdose antidote Naloxone Hydrochloride sits on a counter at a Walgreens store on February 2, 2016 in New York City. (Getty)
KSTP-TV reports that Prince was brought to a hospital in the Twin Cities on April 20 and was seen by a doctor.
Witnesses have told TMZ that Prince was seen later that night at a Walgreens store.
The last photo of Prince. He is leaving Walgreens picking up a perscription so says TMZ
On the morning of April 21, police and other emergency responders were called to Prince’s Minnesota home after he was found unresponsive in an elevator, authorities said.
The transcript of the 911 call reporting that legendary pop musician Prince had died has been made public by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller tells the 911 dispatcher he or she is at “Prince’s house,” and “the dead person is here.” The caller adds that people at the home were “distraught.” When asked how the person died, the caller said, “I don’t know, I don’t know.
You can read the full call transcript at the link below:
CPR was attempted, but he was later pronounced dead. An official cause of death hasn’t been announced yet and will not likely be made public until after an autopsy is completed.
His representatives have not commented about TMZ’s latest report.
Prince did not have a known history of drug use. He was a Jehovah’s Witness, and said he did not drink alcohol or use drugs.
His sister, Tyka Nelson, overcame drug addiction with Prince’s help in the early 2000s, checking into rehab and getting clean.
Prince did have health issues. He suffered from epilepsy as a child and needed a double hip replacement. He had refused to have the surgery because of religious reasons, according to The Guardian. His religion does not believe in blood transfusions, and he was waiting for a way to have the surgery without requiring one.
