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Longtime chef says Prince fought throat, stomach pains recently

 
Chef Ray Roberts says Prince’s throat hurt.
Chef Ray Roberts says Prince’s throat hurt.
Published May 2, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — On stage, Prince was still captivating audiences at recent performances in Australia and California. He hosted a pop-up party at his Paisley Park studio, and there were few outward signs in his final months that anything was wrong.

But off stage, something was different. Prince began wanting meals that were easier to digest and was fighting off waves of sore throats and frequent upset stomachs, the musician's personal chef told the Associated Press.

A law enforcement official has told the AP that investigators are looking into whether Prince, who was found dead at his home on April 21, died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks beforehand. The official has been briefed on the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Ray Roberts, who cooked for Prince nearly every day for almost three years, said in an interview that wasn't the man he saw nearly every night. But Roberts did start noticing changes in Prince's diet — he was eating less and drinking less water, and looked like he was losing weight.

"It felt like he wasn't himself probably the last month or two," Roberts said. "I think he was just struggling with being sick a lot."

In recent months, Roberts said, as Prince would have sore throats or seem like he wasn't feeling well for "weeks at a time," he would prefer smoothies and fresh juices to soothe his throat or stomach.