Prince Had a Lot of Siblings and Extended Family Members When He Passed Away

When Prince died in 2016, he left behind a music legacy that is, in many ways, unparalleled. He also left behind some exes and a whole lot of sisters and brothers. But who are Prince's siblings, and how close was the Purple Rain singer to them at the time of his passing? Although some parts of Prince's life were kept out of the spotlight, there are some details known about his siblings.

During his career as a singer, Prince was part of multiple groups before he became known as the one-named icon. His family, however, knew him as Prince Nelson, though that never had quite the same ring to it as his name did when he dropped his last name professionally. And some of his siblings share that last name with him.

Prince's parents were both musicians, and when they got together, they both already had children from previous marriages. So right off the bat, Prince had five half-siblings. Prince's parents later had him and his sister, Lyka Nelson. Lyka was Prince's only full sibling. Prince's father would have another child with his first wife while still married to Prince's mother, and after they split up, Prince's mom had another child.

According to Billboard, Prince's relationships with his eight different siblings (yes, eight) weren't perfect over the years. And when Prince died in 2016, and he had no apparent will, there was a legal battle over his $156 million estate. Prince's five living half-siblings and his sister Tyka received shares of his estate. His half-brother Duane Nelson died in 2011 and his half-brother Alfred Jackson died in 2019, before the estate was settled.

Although Prince's relationships with his siblings weren't perfect over the years, he and his sister Tyka did share a bond at different times. And in 2017, she revealed on the UK show Lorraine, per People, that she had received a cryptic call from an unknown number that turned out to be Prince on the other end of the call.

Tyka shared that he told her he felt he had "done everything" he was supposed to do, and she felt it inside of her that the end was near for Prince.

On Nov. 4, 2024, Prince's only full sibling Tyka, who was a singer herself, passed away. She was 64 years old. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Tyka's son confirmed the news of her passing, but he didn't share further details. At the time of her death, Tyka had been working on a memoir and she had already retired from singing.

In June 2024, she opened up to the outlet about her singing talent taking a backseat to her writing so she could pen her memoir.

"I'm getting older," she said. "I really wasn't a singer. I'm a writer. I just happen to be able to sing. I enjoy singing."