Prince's
first wife Mayte Garcia was photographed in Los Angeles on Thursday
having a tearful phone conversation shortly after learning the singer
had died.
Garcia
was just 22-years-old and working as a backup dancer for the singer,
who was 37 at thew time, when the two wed in 1996 Valentine's Day.
In October of that same year Garcia gave birth to a son, prince's only child, Boy Gregory.
The
baby was tragically born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a rare disorder that
does not allow the head to grow properly due to the premature fusion of
certain bones of the skull, and died just a week after his birth.
They split just a few years later and in 1999 the couple's marriage was annulled on their third wedding anniversary.
Garcia spoke to People
about her ex-husband's tragic death, saying; 'I can't even think of the
words of what I'm feeling. This man was my everything, we had a family.
I am beyond deeply saddened and devastated.'
She then added; 'I loved him then, I love him now and will love him eternally. He's with our son now.'
Upset: Mayte Garcia (above) was
photographed in Los Angeles on Thursday having a tearful phone
conversation shortly after learning Prince had died
Tearful: Garcia and Prince married on Valentine's Day 1996 when she was just 22 and he was 37
Suffering: The baby was tragically
born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a rare disorder that does not allow the
head to grow, and died a week after his birth
Prince was found dead on Thursday morning at his Paisley Park estate just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The
cause of death remains a mystery, but the 57-year-old had come down
with a 'severe' case of the flu six days prior to his being discovered
unresponsive in an elevator inside his $10million home.
His
symptoms were so bad at the time that his plane had to make an
emergency landing at Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois
so he could be rushed to a hospital and receive medical attention.
The
singer, who was born Prince Rogers Nelson, performed a show in Atlanta
last Thursday prior to becoming sick, and appeared at a dance party
in Minnesota on Saturday to let his fans know he was doing better after
his sudden hospitalization.
Prince,
who over the course of his career won seven Grammy Awards, an Oscar and
sold over 100 million records worldwide, told fans at the event; 'Wait a
few days before you waste any prayers.'
He
was last seen Wednesday night leaving a Walgreen's near his home around
7pm, marking the fourth time the singer had been to the pharmacy that
week.
The
singer seemed to live a remarkably healthy life, having been a strict
vegan for over a decade and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001,
a faith that largely prohibits the consumption of alcohol.
He
joined the church just two years after his split from Garcia, one of the
many women the noted Lothario romanced over the years.
Garcia's
mother submitted a video of the then 16-year-old dancing to Prince's
team in 1990 and soon after she was hired to be a part of his Diamonds
and Pearls Tour.
She
was still a teenager two years later when she became the focus of
Prince's 1992 album whose title was an unpronounceable symbol and later
became known as Love Symbol.
Prince also wrote his 1995 hit song 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World' about Garcia.
After
their divorce Garcia had a two-year relationship with drummer Tommy
Lee, but has said in multiple interviews that she will always love her
ex-husband.
She
is now a choreographer and actress, most famous perhaps for her work on
the music video for Britney Spears' 2001 song 'I'm A Slave 4 U,' with
Garcia choreographing the belly dancing routines performed by the pop
star and her dancers.
Back in the day: Garcia and Prince split in 1999 after three years of marriage (right in 1998, left in 1999)
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