Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia recalls how he never got over the death of his son
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia is opening up about the couple's son, who was born with a rare genetic disorder in 1996, and died just six days later.
The 43-year-old dancer is releasing a new memoir, titled “The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince,” which was excerpted in this week’s PEOPLE magazine issue. Garcia described how baby Amiir (Arabic for “prince”) was born on Oct. 16, 1996 with Pfeiffer syndrome type 2, a disorder that causes skeletal abnormalities. He struggled to breathe and underwent multiple procedures before his death.
MAYTE GARCIA TO RELEASE 'INTIMATE MEMOIR'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I don’t think he ever got over it,” Garcia told PEOPLE of her ex-husband who died last April from an accidental overdose. “I don’t know how anybody can get over it. I know I haven’t.”
Garcia also revealed the doctor previously recommended an amniocentesis to test for genetic abnormalities. However, after the doctor warned the procedure carried a risk of miscarriage, Prince became against it.
“My husband said, ‘No, we’re not doing that,” Garcia recalled.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Garcia would deliver their son via C-section and despite the joyous arrival, she quickly learned something was seriously wrong.
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“I don’t know how to describe the look on my husband’s face. Pure joy,” she said on Prince meeting his son for the first time. “And then they held the baby up to those harsh lights. The elation on my husband’s face turned to pure terror.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Garcia and Prince married in 1996 and divorced in 2000. Her memoir is scheduled to be release on April 4.
Garcia also told PEOPLE that she was initially shocked to learn that her late husband was battling drug addiction.
"I never actually saw Prince doing drugs," she admitted. "He didn't want me to. I'm sure he knew what my reaction would be."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, she did referenced several "disturbing occassions when he told me he was 'sick' or had a 'migraine,'" which may have hinted at possible substance abuse issues. Weeks after their marriage on Valentine's Day 1996, Garcia received a phone call from one of Prince's bodyguards, stating that he was rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped.
According to Prince, he claimed to have combined wine with aspirin.
"Looking back now and being much older I can see it was something else," said Garcia. "I never saw him do anything — not even take an aspirin."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.