Jill Jones, a former girlfriend of the late musician Prince, told the outlet that their relationship was at times affectionate and at times violent, alleging she was physically assaulted by the star in 1984.
Jones described the relationship as complicated and said Prince could be "loveable" and "adorable," but she added he "could be hateful too."
Jones alleged that the 1984 incident began after she saw Prince kissing one of her friends and that when she slapped him, he "responded by repeatedly punching her in the face," according to RadarOnline. She said she initially planned to press charges but was allegedly warned by people close to Prince that doing so would "ruin" his career and upcoming tour.
Jones said the pair later reconciled and that Prince apologized after one of her surgeries with "balloons, toys and candy," the outlet reported. She said the emotional impact of the episode lasted for years.
Jones reflected on the hold their relationship retained, saying, "It was really hard for us to not be around each other," and added that Prince "always thought I would be there. He would always say: 'I'm always gonna know you.'"
Jones said that she delayed speaking publicly because she had been "waiting on an apology" that never came before Prince's death in 2016. She commented on social attitudes at the time, saying, "See, this is the craziest thing with domestic violence. You wait for an apology sometimes from someone that you love, you think they're going to, and they want to move on and not talk about it, and you allow it," per Mirror.
She also said societal norms played a role, adding, "It was an era of time where men did knock around their wives. It was just something that happened." Jones told the publication that it took her "years" to "get over" what occurred but that she tried to forgive him, saying, "He's just a product of a time, although I'm not trying to make excuses."
Jones recalled being reminded of her own alleged history with Prince after the 2009 assault of Rihanna by Chris Brown, and said Prince offered Brown "advice" in the aftermath.
She reacted to allegations by other women, noting she felt she "should have been there to stand beside" Sinead O'Connor after O'Connor wrote that Prince attacked her in the early 1990s, but added, "I never saw anything happen to her, but I could have told my story. But then again, nobody wanted to hear. Nobody cared."
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