Purple Rain star Apollonia Kotero slammed Prince collaborator Sheila E. in a social media post following the release of Sheila E.’s Prince tribute song “Lemon Cake” earlier this week.
“Lemon Cake” arrived a week before the Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince special, featuring Sheila E., airs on April 21st. The drummer also took part in the Grammys’ tribute to Prince in February.
In an interview with Billboard after the release of “Lemon Cake,” “The Glamorous Life” singer said, “One day I mentioned to him that I make a good chocolate and lemon cake. His response was, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you cooked.’ I said, ‘Of course I do. My mom being Creole and my dad Mexican, I better know how to cook.’ The next day I baked a lemon cake. It was love at first sight and one of his favorite things that we would share in the studio.”
“You are so desperate to be RELEVANT as the brilliant Linda Perry said. Prince refused to acknowledge you for 5 years before his death because of your lies,” Kotero wrote of Sheila E. on Facebook (via Okayplayer). “You can’t continue to fool our Prince fans any longer. Because I AM here to tell you, it’s over. Time for the truth.”
In her Facebook post, Kotero accused Sheila E. of profiting off Prince’s name and trademark, including accusations that Sheila E. held Prince-themed benefit concerts for music schools that never came to fruition.
“Prince was so angry because of all your continuous lies. Your bio filled with lies. He sent you legal letters as you were slandering him. I have copies and will include them in my memoirs. You need to stop using Prince in death. You need to stop using Purple Rain as a vehicle. YOU ARE NOT ON OUR CAST LIST,” Kotero wrote.
A rep for Sheila E. did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
“Why would you do a Purple Rain boat cruise tour $?$? in 2016? Why would you sell Prince logo tshirts $$$ ?,” Kotero continued. “Why did you tell The Revolution April 2016 that YOU knew how Prince died BUT you could not tell them!?! Please get over yourself: YOU ARE NOT PRINCE. You will never be. You can copy his attire , try your best, but you will NEVER be Prince.
“So get over yourself sad self and face the truth. He did not want anything to do with you for 5 years. You erased all that history by being your desperate egotistical self. Egotistical empty sad desperate for money. Money will not get you to Heaven. Time to come out and tell the truth.”
Read Kotero’s entire Facebook post below:
