New details have emerged about the relationship between music icon Prince and Hollywood actress Kim Basinger, revealing that what was previously thought to be a brief fling was actually a serious romance that could have led to marriage. The pair dated in 1989, and according to a new book featuring interviews with over 200 people from Prince's inner circle, they were deeply in love.
Prince first met Basinger on the set of Batman, where she played Vicki Vale and he was providing music for the soundtrack. He sent a cassette of his album to the lead actors, and Basinger called to thank him, sparking a conversation that led to a year-long relationship. Prince's PA Therese Stoulil recalled: 'Michael [Keaton] didn’t get back, Jack [Nicholson] asked for money because we sampled him and Kim called the office to thank him. I put her through to his office. They had a very short conversation.'
Basinger soon moved to Minneapolis to be with Prince, staying at his home rather than the lavish hotel suite he had booked. Stoulil described them as 'a couple of teenagers in love', adding: 'I don’t think, in ten years, I had ever seen Prince happier. They would go shopping together. Prince never went out shopping.' Basinger even collaborated with Prince on a remix of the Batman ballad 'Scandalous', and engineer Sal Greco recalled finding honey all over the mixing desk after their private recording session.
However, the relationship cooled when Prince got cold feet. Stoulil said they split because 'things were promised. Things didn’t happen.' Guitar tech Michael Soltys noted that during a photoshoot, Basinger was directing, and 'I could tell it was not rubbing him right.' Basinger has never publicly commented on the romance, and her spokesman declined to discuss it in 2016.
