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Prince’s Former Backing Vocalist Speaks Out, Makes Shocking Allegations About Music Legend
Prince ex Jill Jones claims the music icon punched her in the face in 1984 and that his inner circle pressured her to stay silent to protect his career.
Prince‘s ’80s galpal Jill Jones is making explosive allegations about the late music legend.
Jill, 63, who was a backing vocalist for Prince during his heyday, had shared her alleged experiences with the “Little Red Corvette” singer as part of a nine-hour documentary on his life, but the TV project was reportedly spiked by his estate over the belief that it could harm his image.
In an interview with The Mirror, she said of Prince, who died from an overdose of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in 2016: “My intention was to talk about the man as he is. He was lovable, adorable, but he could be hateful, too.”
According to the “Mia Bocca” singer, she and a friend went to see Prince at a hotel in 1984 — but jealous Jill slapped him after he started kissing her pal. That’s when she claims the pint-sized performer pummeled her.
Jill claims she wanted to press charges, but was dissuaded from doing so by the hitmaker’s inner circle — and explains that going to a hospital was also out of the question over fears that her story would leak. “I was told I would ruin his career,” she recalled. “They saw him as just money for them.”
Months later, Prince launched his lucrative Purple Rain Tour, which followed the blockbuster movie and album of the same name.
“Had I come forward … it wouldn’t have happened,” said Jill, who was credited as J.J. when she sang backup on Prince’s smash record 1999, released in 1982.
“But basically, after that, we made up because I had a surgery and he gave me a ton of toys, and this is how the apology was: balloons, toys and candy. It was really hard for us to not be around each other. He always thought I would be there. He would always say: ‘I’m always gonna know you.'”
Jill reasons that she’d long stayed silent “because I was waiting on an apology.”
She also suggests that Prince was shaped by witnessing the volatile relationship between his parents and said, “It was an era of time where men did knock around their wives.”
Jill said it took “years” for her to get over the alleged abuse, but added: “I also forgive him for that, because he’s just a product of a time — although I’m not trying to make excuses.”
A rep for Prince’s estate called Jill’s claims “old news” and said, “This was not the reason the documentary was not released.” The estate previously deemed the film “sensationalized” and “factually incorrect.”
