1 MINUTE AGO: Sheila E. Reveals What Prince Told Her About Diddy Before His Death…

.
.

On the seventh day of the federal trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the atmosphere in the courtroom was electric. The judge called the next witness, and the gallery fell silent as Sheila E, famed percussionist and longtime confidant of Prince, took the stand. What followed was one of the most explosive testimonies in recent music history—a narrative that connected pop culture icons, industry secrets, and the chilling final warnings of a musical legend.

Sheila E began calmly, her words measured but heavy with implication. She wasn’t just speaking for herself, she said, but for Prince—a man who, according to her, “knew too much” and paid the price. Her testimony would not only tie Diddy to the industry’s darkest rumors but also lend new weight to Prince’s cryptic statements before his untimely death in 2016.

Prince’s Fears and Final Warnings

Sheila E told the court that in the years leading up to his death, Prince became increasingly paranoid—not of dying, but of being silenced. “There’s more going on in this industry than anyone knows,” she recalled him saying. “It’s not just about owning your masters. It’s about who owns you.” Prince, she testified, believed the industry had become a breeding ground for manipulation, exploitation, and coercion.

One late-night phone call stood out in her memory. “There are people at the top playing God,” Prince warned her. “If I speak too loud, they’ll shut me down.” While he mentioned several names, one kept resurfacing: Sean “Diddy” Combs. Prince believed Diddy’s influence extended far beyond music, protected by powerful institutions.

Sheila recounted how Prince warned her never to attend certain parties—especially those hosted or attended by Diddy. “You don’t want to be in that room. Things happen there that you can’t unsee,” he said. Prince allegedly described these gatherings as “rituals masked as celebrations,” not ordinary afterparties.

The Paisley Park Incident

Sheila described an incident around 2006 when Diddy pressured Prince to allow an exclusive event at his famed Paisley Park estate. Though Prince reluctantly agreed, what unfolded was something he never wanted associated with his name. The party began like any other—red carpet, champagne, celebrities—but once the cameras stopped, the atmosphere shifted. Security prevented guests from bringing phones or personal security. “That’s when Prince told me, ‘This isn’t my party anymore,’” Sheila recalled.

Inside, she witnessed behavior she’d never seen at Paisley Park: suggestive performances, controlled substances, and a private section of the estate closed off to most guests. Prince pointed toward the restricted area and said, “That’s where the real party is.” Sheila did not enter. The next morning, Prince told her, “That was the last time I let him into my home. Something dark came in with him.”

Sheila confirmed to prosecutors that Prince deeply regretted allowing Diddy access to his world. “He felt like he’d opened a door that couldn’t be closed. After that night, everything changed.”

Surveillance, Blackmail, and the Industry’s Dark Core

Sheila E’s testimony painted a picture of an industry where control wasn’t just financial but psychological. Prince often spoke of NDAs, backroom deals, and secret meetings where careers were made or destroyed overnight. He warned that Diddy’s infamous “freakoff parties” were about more than pleasure—they were about power. “They film everything. That’s how they get you,” Prince reportedly said.

According to Sheila, Prince believed a system existed where artists were groomed, filmed, and blackmailed. “If you don’t comply, you vanish.” She noted that Prince had started a legal and spiritual war against Warner Brothers, the same company tied to both his contract disputes and Diddy’s label deals. “He told me they were all connected. The same executives that shortchanged him were launching Diddy.”

Prince believed Diddy was allowed to rise because he “played the game,” while Prince was punished for trying to own his music and speak out. “They don’t just want your hits,” Prince said. “They want your silence. If they can’t buy it, they’ll bury you.”

The Final Call

Sheila described her last conversation with Prince, just days before his death. He called after 2 a.m., sounding scared. “They’re watching me. They want me quiet,” he told her. Prince said he planned to testify in a federal case, though he didn’t say whose. “These parties, these artists, the tapes—they’re not rumors. I’ve seen them.” He seemed especially disturbed by the involvement of former allies.

“If I go down, it’ll be because I tried to save someone who didn’t want saving,” Prince told Sheila. She now believes he was talking about Diddy. His parting words: “Don’t let them twist my legacy. And if something happens, remember this call. Say it loud if I can’t.”

A few days later, Prince was gone.

Evidence and Aftershocks

Prosecutors then introduced evidence Prince had intended to share: three NDAs, each describing coerced performances or hush money offers at events linked to Diddy’s circle. An audio file recovered from Paisley Park featured Prince rehearsing an interview: “They’ll call it networking, but it’s harvesting. Young artists go in thinking it’s a party. They leave owing a debt measured in silence.”

Financial analysts traced appearance fees routed through shell companies to events matching the “freakoff” parties. Hotel keycard logs showed Prince’s passcode was reissued at 3 a.m. the night before his emergency landing—the same hour he told Sheila, “They’re outside my door.”

Individually, each piece of evidence was circumstantial. Together, they formed a chilling pattern: NDAs matching accuser Cassie’s narrative, payments disguised as “VIP liaison” fees, Prince’s own words anticipating blackmail, and digital breadcrumbs implying surveillance.

PLAY VIDEO:

The Reckoning

As the court adjourned, the impact of Sheila E’s testimony rippled far beyond the courthouse. Social media exploded. Veteran producers posted cryptic emojis. Legal experts whispered that Prince might be the first posthumous whistleblower in music history.

Inside Bad Boy’s Manhattan offices, executives reportedly took indefinite leave. Warner Music instructed staff to preserve all artist arrangement documents, sparking rumors of a federal investigation. Even streaming services began auditing archival footage from private performances.

For the first time, Diddy appeared shaken, refusing to make eye contact with the gallery. Sheila E left through a side door, escorted by U.S. Marshals after prosecutors disclosed anonymous threats.

Her final words echoed Prince’s last warning: “Your silence won’t protect you.” As the judge dismissed proceedings, it was clear—whatever the jury decided, the industry’s era of silence had been shattered.