Prince Death Update: Doctor Claims The Music Legend Needed Treatment For Painkiller Addiction

Fuelling rumors that Prince's death may be connected to prescription drug abuse, a doctor has claimed he was scheduled to meet the music legend on April 22, a day after his death, to tackle the former's addiction.

Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a noted expert in treating painkiller addiction, was enlisted by o Prince's camp to help fight his addiction. The doctor had sent his son Andrew to meet Prince at the latter's home to discuss the plan. Andrew took an overnight flight from California to Minneapolis, where Prince lived. When he arrived the next day, April 21, Andrew was among those who found Prince dead. He had later called 911 to inform about the death, The New York Times reports.

"The plan was to quickly evaluate his health and devise a treatment plan," explained William Mauzy, the doctor's attorney.

Pending release of the autopsy report, it is not known what killed the 57-year-old performer. This is not the first time the singer's use of painkillers have caught attention. About a week before his death, Prince's plane made an emergency landing, reportedly due to unexpected reactions to pain medication. Many of the singer's friends however remain unaware about his painkiller abuse.

According to reports, intense performance on the stage forced Prince to take painkillers to manage pain and continue performing. He was prescribed more painkillers following a hip-surgery.

Investigating agencies have taken Andrew into custody and are interrogating him. He was said to be carrying medication to treat opioid addiction but reportedly did not administer them on Prince. Mauzy maintained the drugs were for another doctor who was on standby to treat the singer. Dr. Kornfeld had described the treatment for Prince as life-saving mission.

Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his home on April 21, prompting investigation into his death which has remained a mystery.