By Jon Wiederhorn
Prince’s first wife Mayte Garcia, who was married to the late pop star from 1996 to 2000, is writing a book about her life with the singer. The memoir, The Most Beautiful, will hit stores in April 2017, about a year after Prince’s death.
Related: Mayte Garcia Remembers Prince: “He Was my Everything”
“For many years, people have encouraged me to share my story,” Garcia said in a press release from the book’s publisher Hachette. “Prince was loved the world over but few knew him intimately.”
Garcia was married to Prince for just four years, 1996 to 2000, but insists their relationship was transcendent and the two will always be connected.
“Ours was a rare, almost otherworldly connection,” she said. “I want to share our love story, and with it the highs and lows — always coming from a loving place, as this man is still part of my family and always will be.”
In addition to being “almost otherworldly,” Prince and Garcia’s marriage was fraught with trauma. In 1996 the couple’s infant son, Boy Gregory Nelson, died a week after he was born. Garcia opened up about the heartache the incident caused the couple on the VH1 reality show Hollywood Exes. Shortly after, a woman Tweeted Garcia and invited her to adopt her baby. The girl became Garcia’s daughter, Gia.
In addition to featuring tales of triumph and pain, The Most Beautiful will contain never-before-seen letters, pictures and items Garcia collected over the years.
