Chaka Khan Slams Intrusive Questions About Her Relationship With Prince

Chaka Khan is pushing back against repeated questions about whether she had a sexual relationship with Prince.

In a recent interview with Britain’s Observer, the 73-year-old singer asked whether she would once again be questioned about sleeping with Prince, who she worked with several times before his death in 2016.

Khan said the question has come up repeatedly over the years. She criticized the assumption that female singers must have romantic relationships with male musicians they work with.

“I’m not going to lie to you and add to your fantasy,” Khan said. “This ain’t Disneyland. I’m living for real.”

Khan and Prince had a long professional relationship. She recorded his song “I Feel for You,” which became a major hit in 1984, reaching No. 3 in the U.S. and earning two Grammy Awards.

Khan has also credited Prince with helping her through difficult periods in her career and personal life, including her struggles with drugs. She said he encouraged her to seek treatment after she became dependent on fentanyl following knee surgery in 1999.

Despite their close professional relationship, Khan has made clear that she did not view Prince romantically, once saying, “I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole.”

Prince reportedly first met Khan in 1978 after pretending to be Sly Stone when she called a San Francisco studio. According to Prince’s former manager Owen Husney, Khan left after discovering the deception, prompting Prince to say he would one day write her a hit. Years later, he did just that with “I Feel for You.”