Prince's first wife Mayte Garcia speaks out about tragic death

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.'

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She then added; 'I loved him then, I love him now and will love him eternally. He's with our son now.

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.

Mayte Garcia and Prince perform on stage on 'The Ultimate Live Experience' tour at Wembley Arena. Photo / Getty Images

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.

Prince would marry just once more in his life, tying the knot with Manuela Testolini in 2001, two years after ending his marriage to Garcia.

Prince tied the know with Manuela Testolini in 2001, two years after ending his marriage to Garcia. Photo / AP

Testolini was 24 when she married the singer, who was 43 at the time, shortly after meeting him while working for his charitable foundation.

The native Canadian largely avoided the spotlight during her marriage to the star, focusing on her charitable endeavors as well as her production company Gamillah, Inc., which she used to help promote non-profit organizations.

It was her decision to leave the singer and file for divorce in 2006, and he made no attempt to hide how hurt he was to lose his wife of five years.

Testolini would go on to marry Halle Berry's ex-husband Eric Benet in 2011 and the couple now has two daughters.

Prince began a relationship with Bria Valente, who was born Brenda Fuentes, a year after the end of his marriage.

It is not clear how old Valente was at the time or when exactly they split, but the young woman's Facebook page shows that she was married in a few years ago to a fellow Jehovah's Witness.

She joined the faith while dating Prince.

Valente is Prince's last confirmed girlfriend, and one of the many protegees the singer dated over the years.

It was in 1980 that he met his first protegee, Denise Matthews, at the American Music Awards.

Prince renamed her Vanity soon after believing her to be the female form of himself and made her the lead singer of the girl group he had created, Vanity 6.

The two dated for a few years and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1983, with Vanity finding success in the film and music worlds even after the two split.

She would go on to have relationships with artists rockers Billy Idol and Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue before marrying football player Anthony Smith in 1995, one year after becoming a born-again Christian following an overdose of crack cocaine.

Vanity, like many of Prince's lovers, would later write in her autobiography that he was the only man she ever truly loved.

She tragically died of renal failure in February of this year. Vanity, like Prince, was 57-year-old at the time of her death.

Prince paid tribute to Vanity during a concert in Australia shortly after he death, where he performed songs in her honor while also highlighting the hits he wrote while the two were together, including his classic Little Red Corvette.