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What Are Prince's Ex-Wives Up To Now? Mayte & Manuela's Lives Post-His Death
2024-12-07
Prince, the renowned "Purple Rain" singer, had a complex romantic life with two wives. His marriages and the events surrounding them offer a fascinating glimpse into his personal and professional world.
Unraveling the Lives of Prince's Wives
Mayte Garcia
Prince's first wife, Mayte Garcia, was a professional belly dancer. When she was just 16 years old, her mother slipped a tape of her belly dancing to a member of Prince's team, which caught his attention. They began corresponding and Garcia joined Prince's Diamonds and Pearls tour as a backup dancer when she turned 18. Their relationship turned romantic, and they got married on Valentine's Day in 1996.During their marriage, they welcomed a son named Amiir in 1996. Amiir was diagnosed with Pfeiffer syndrome type 2 and lived for only six days. Two years later, Garcia suffered a miscarriage. These losses took a toll on their marriage, and they divorced in 2000.One year after Prince's death, Garcia opened up about their time together in her 2017 memoir. She shared a favorite memory of telling Prince she was pregnant. He was watching a game when she called him over, and his reaction was amazing.Over the years, Garcia has continued to make a difference. She adopted a daughter named Gia in 2013 and runs the non-profit Live 4 Love Charities, founded in honor of their son. She also runs Mayte Rescue, a non-profit animal organization to help rescue dogs get adopted.Manuela Testolini
Prince's second wife, Manuela Testolini, was a philanthropist from Toronto. She met Prince shortly after his divorce from Garcia and they married on Christmas Day in 2001. With Prince's encouragement, she started her own charity, In a Perfect World, in 2005, focusing on empowering children and youth through education and building schools in underserved communities.In 2006, Testolini filed for divorce from Prince, although the reason remained private. After his death, she revealed that they had spoken on the phone just a few days before. She went on to build a school in Malawi in his honor, which was made possible through the contributions of Prince's fans.In 2017, In A Perfect World opened a second school in Malawi. Testolini's work shows Prince's lasting impact as an activist and philanthropist. In her personal life, she married singer-songwriter Eric Benét in 2011 and they have two daughters together.These two wives played significant roles in Prince's life, each leaving their own mark and continuing to make a difference in the world.