Prince , the music icon who struggled with debilitating hip pain during his career, died from an accidental overdose of self-administered fentanyl, a type of
synthetic opiate , officials in Minnesota said Thursday.
The news ended weeks of speculation about the sudden death of the musician, who had a reputation for clean living but who appears to have developed a dependency on medications to treat his pain.
Authorities have yet to discuss how he came to be in possession of the fentanyl and whether it had been prescribed by a doctor.
Officials had waited several weeks for the results of a toxicology test undertaken as part of an autopsy performed after he was found dead April 21 in an elevator at his estate. He was preparing to enroll in an opioid treatment program when he died at 57, according to the lawyer for a doctor who was planning to treat him.
The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, which conducted the autopsy, declined to comment beyond releasing a copy of its findings . The Carver County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the death with help from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
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