# At 51, Mayte Garcia Exposes Why She Divorced Prince

At 51, Mayte Garcia is breaking her silence about the fairy tale that turned into heartbreak. Once Prince’s muse, wife, and collaborator, she reveals the untold truths behind their 1996 marriage and shocking 1998 annulment.

What started as destiny unraveled under grief, faith, and irreconcilable differences, leaving Mayte to rebuild her life in the shadow of the icon.

Mayte’s story began as a childhood fantasy. At nine, she declared she’d marry Prince or Luis Miguel. Fate intervened when her mother sent a videotape of Mayte dancing to a Prince concert. Impressed, Prince invited her backstage at 16, sparking a pen-pal friendship. By 18, she moved into his Paisley Park compound as his legal guardian and backup dancer.

Their bond deepened into romance at 19, with Prince guiding her intimately. “Feb 9, 1993. Not a virgin,” Mayte journaled, marking the start of their passionate affair.

They wed on Valentine’s Day 1996—Mayte at 22, Prince at 37. He gifted her a Spanish mansion with a studio and salon. Their life was lavish: “shopping gorilla style” in limos, no price tags checked.

Prince, convinced of reincarnation, told Oprah their souls met in Egypt millennia ago. He immortalized her in songs like “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” a testament to their cosmic connection.

But cracks appeared early. Pregnant two months in, Mayte faced complications. Prince, distrustful of doctors, relied on faith. Their son Amir was born in October 1996 with Pfeiffer syndrome type 2, dying after six agonizing days.

Mayte never recovered; Prince hid his pain publicly, claiming they’d have more children. A subsequent miscarriage compounded the trauma. “The tragedies drove us apart,” Mayte admitted. Prince seemed to blame fate, questioning their bond.

By 1998, Prince’s faith shifted. Embracing Jehovah’s Witnesses, he sought solace post-loss. Mayte tried supporting him but couldn’t convert. Religion widened the rift, pulling them further apart. In a 1998 press conference, Prince announced annulment, blindsiding Mayte. She believed in their eternal love; instead, she was discarded.

Post-divorce, Mayte struggled. Dating musicians felt impossible—Prince’s songs lingered like ghosts. A brief engagement to Tommy Lee fizzled. Prince remarried Manuela Testellini in 2001, divorcing in 2006. Mayte mourned his 2016 death from fentanyl overdose, seeing it as reunion with Amir.

Mayte’s revelations paint Prince as human: passionate yet controlling, spiritual yet scarred. Their love, born of destiny, crumbled under loss and faith. Today, Mayte honors the memories while embracing her truth.