A publicist now says an interview with Prince on a popular San Diego morning radio show was a hoax.
The interview aired live on Star 94.1 late last week, promoting a concert gala that had been planned for the North County. That gala, booked at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, was cancelled last Saturday, after several celebrities came forward saying they had nothing to do with the event, even though they were named as supporters.
Maureen O’Connor, an Executive Vice President at the public relations firm Rogers & Cowan, now confirms it was not really Prince speaking with the radio show hosts during a lengthy interview. The man claiming to be Prince on the “Jeff and Jer” show promoted the concert event, supposedly benefiting an organization called the Children’s Media Foundation. He also answered several questions, on topics ranging from Prince’s childhood to his latest projects.
The event’s organizer, Michael Kinsell, had billed the concert as a star-studded gala tribute to the late children’s television pioneer, Fred Rogers.
Kinsell originally said he hoped the concert fundraiser would set a San Diego record for the most celebrities in attendance. But then representatives for Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Eddie Murphy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Danny DeVito and Governor Schwarzenegger all said the celebrities had no ties to the Children’s Media Foundation or the gala.
PBS and the producer of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” also said they had no association with Kinsell or the event. And PBS said it has filed a complaint with the California Attorney General’s Office.
Kinsell eventually responded to the turn of events with an email that said, “Enough is enough. I'm sorry for any trouble and all the misunderstandings."
Everyone who bought tickets to the gala was given a refund.
