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Prince, Ten Years On: Accidental Fentanyl Overdose Reaffirmed as Tributes Grow

Fresh recollections of memory lapses add detail to his final months without changing the record.

Overview

  • The anniversary coverage published Tuesday marks ten years since Prince died at 57 at his Paisley Park complex in Minnesota.
  • Authorities concluded he died from an accidental fentanyl overdose after taking counterfeit pills labeled as hydrocodone, closed the investigation in April 2018, and courts dismissed a family lawsuit in 2019.
  • In the week before his death, his private jet made an emergency landing in Moline, where medics administered naloxone to counter suspected opioid effects and took him to a hospital.
  • Former bassist Mark “Brownmark” Brown now recalls short‑term memory lapses and forgotten invitations in the months leading up to Prince’s death.
  • Fans describe grief that feels like losing a family member, a response researchers link to one‑sided bonds formed through a performer’s voice and songs.