Prince Death Conspiracy Theories: Did Singer Really Die From Flu Or Zika Virus As Aretha Franklin Said?

Prince’s untimely death at age 57 shocked the world Thursday, but not all his fans are ready to believe he died from the flu. While the coroner has not as yet confirmed a cause of death, it was reported he battled influenza for several weeks.

Still, the apparent cause of death does not sit well with fans. Legendary singer Aretha Franklin, for one, had her own theory, speculating that Prince died from the Zika virus. David Corn, D.C. editor of Mother Jones, tweeted Thursday:

Many flocked to Twitter to talk about it. A lot of the postings are crazy. While some netizens claim that Prince is still alive, and is probably in Cuba with Tupac Shakur (another common conspiracy theory) others maintained the queen of England killed Prince because it was her 90th birthday.

Many compared his death to those of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Both singers died suddenly and unexpectedly, just like Prince. The world is down another music icon, they said.

A different theory is that someone always dies right before awards shows. The BET show is slated to air June 26 this year. Some referenced the death of Houston, who died the February before the 2012 Grammys. Jackson died just days before the BET Awards in 2009.

Prince’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, confirmed his untimely death. "It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57,” she said.

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