Carmen Electra is "in shock" following the death of music icon Prince, who served as a friend and mentor in the early days of her career.
The model and actress sat down exclusively with ET's Kevin Frazier on Thursday, hours after the Purple Rain artist's untimely death at 57, where she opened up about his life and the impact he had on the world.
"Prince, to some people, was this untouchable
force," Electra, 44, shared. "For someone who people looked up to like a
god, this musical genius, this non-human thing, this entity, to be
powerless and to lose his life – it’s shocking. I feel I don't even know
what to say… I didn't think this day would come."
Electra, whose real name is Tara Leigh Patrick,
met and befriended Prince in 1991 when she was 18 years old. Prince, who
convinced the actress to change her name to her current moniker, signed
her to his Paisley Park Records, where she began her singing career.
Electra gushed over Prince's unbridled support of
her dreams, recalling how great it was to have "this incredibly generous
person believe in me, give me a career, record music for me, write the
music [and] give me a name."
"If he believed in you he was rooting for you. He
was the biggest cheerleader,” Electra recounted. "He did that for me. He
gave me confidence. To go to the school of Prince -- that was college
to me."
Electra, who had been "crying all morning" since
hearing the news, also admitted that she and Prince had been
romantically involved during "during the recording" of her self-titled
1993 album.
Electra explained that it was a relationship Prince wanted to keep under wraps for the sake of her career.
"I remember he said, 'You know, I believe in you
and I want people to take you seriously and people know you're my
girlfriend. People will think I'm just doing this because you're my
girlfriend. So if anyone asks, tell them 'too many men, not enough
time.'" Electra said. "I felt like he was protecting me."
In the wake of his death, Electra addressed the
way their relationship ended, with her exploring other aspects of her
career, away from Prince, in Los Angeles. When asked what she would say
if she had one last chance to talk with him, Electra said, "I just
always wanted to tell him that I love him… And thank you for the
inspiration, thank you for making me who I am today."
For her, Prince's legacy is that he will always be
"the most powerful, influential, dynamic musical genius to touch the
face of the earth. He's special and he'll live on forever."
Prince was found unresponsive at 9:43 a.m. at his Paisley Park Studios complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The investigation involving his death is still ongoing and an autopsy will be conducted on Friday.
No details have been released regarding a service
for the iconic musician, but if a funeral is held, Electra said she'd
"absolutely" attend if "that’s a possibility," although she added that
she's not been in contact with those responsible for any such event.
"I love him dearly and I think the message here is about love and I think his message was about love," she added.
Tune in on Friday for Electra's full interview with Entertainment Tonight. Check here for local listings.
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