*According to his publicist, Prince‘s body has been cremated.
a small number of the music icon’s dearly beloved were in attendance at a private ceremony in Minnesota on Saturday.
“A few hours ago, Prince was celebrated by a small group of his most beloved: family, friends and his musicians, in a private, beautiful ceremony to say a loving goodbye,” publicist Yvette Noel-Schure wrote.
She added:
“Prince’s remains have been cremated and their final storage will remain private. We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time.”
As we reported, Prince died on Thursday at age 57.
Tributes have poured in from all parts, including the White House, the Coachella music festival and late-night television shows. Reports have also surfaced that the star may have had an addiction to painkillers or suffered an overdose. At a press conference on Friday, Carver County, Minnesota, Sheriff Jim Olson fought back tears as he said that there were “no obvious signs of trauma” on Prince’s body and that “there is no reason to believe at this point that it was a suicide.”
In her statement about the memorial service, Noel-Schure also wrote:
“The cause of death remains unknown and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy. An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration.”
In other news about Prince, one of his associates, Morris Day, has released a heartfelt statement about the passing of the Purple One.
“Right now there are no words that can express the feelings we all have for our dear brother Prince,” Day wrote. “Thank you!”
Day also posted a vintage picture of himself with Prince with the message, “Prince introduced me 2 u!!!”
Morris Day and the Time were featured prominently in the 1984 film “Purple Rain.” The group’s performance of the track “Jungle Love” was a highlight of the film.
Following news of Prince’s death, social media exploded with tributes to the musician, with celebrities including Samuel L. Jackson, Katy Perry, Dwayne Johnson and Spike Lee reacting to the shocking news.
“And just like that…the world lost a lot of magic,” Katy Perry tweeted.
“R.I.P PRINCE, another icon gone too soon,” wrote Shaquille O’Neal.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the death of Prince is ongoing according to the Carver County, Minnesota Sheriff’s Department.