COMPASSIONATE

Prince Wanted to Mentor Chris Brown

Sought to help artists who'd gone astray.

In a newly released Rolling Stone interview with Prince from 2014, the late rocker confessed to wanting to mentor Chris Brown. The beleagured R&B singer has had multiple run-ins with the law, including a 2009 incident in which he beat then-girlfriend Rihanna. When told by Rolling Stone reporter Brian Hiatt that such actions were "unforgivable," Prince responded: "Unforgivable? Goodness. That's when we go check the master, Christ... Have you ever instantly forgiven somebody? It's the best feeling in the world, and it totally dismantles that person's whole stance." The Purple One said his desire to help Brown stemmed from seeing too many talented artists engage in self-destructive behavior. "We're all connected, right, we're all brothers and sisters, and the minute we lock that in, we wouldn't let anybody in our family fall," he said. "That's why I called Chris Brown. All of us need to be able to reach out and just fix stuff. There's nothing that's unforgivable."