The Unexpected Romantic History Kristin Chenoweth Has With Prince

Kristin Chenoweth has recently revealed the connection she shared with Prince — and it's deeper than most people may have originally known. 

Chenoweth got her start in an off-Broadway production called "Animal Crackers" in 1993, per Biography. The performer took on more parts on stage and television before scoring one of her most well-known roles, Glinda in the Broadway musical "Wicked." Her Hollywood success has continued with projects like "Pushing Daisies," "Glee," and "Holidate." In August 2021, Chenoweth discussed how she was expressive as a performer from the first time she sang solo in church as a child. "I was probably about 9, and I remember thinking, 'Wow, I really do mean this song,'" Chenoweth said to Smule. "I was young, but even then, I thought you should only sing things you mean."

Prince, on the other hand, gained fame in the late '70s through his singer-songwriter career. Per AllMusic, the multitalented artist played all of the instruments and sang all of the notes that were recorded for his debut album, "For You," completely solo. He dominated the industry for decades with albums such as "1999," "Purple Rain," and "Diamonds and Pearls," to name a select few. Sadly, the iconic musician died in 2016, per History. Since then, Chenoweth has opened up about how she and Prince originally linked up.

Kristin Chenoweth apparently learned that Prince had an interest in her and was a fan of her work early in her career. During a 2022 visit on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Chenoweth stated, "It happened. I dated [Prince] twice ... I didn't know it was a date because it's Prince." She explained that Prince's manager called her and said Prince wanted to ask for her phone number. After Chenoweth didn't believe this was true, the "1999" singer's assistant called and arranged for Chenoweth and Prince to meet at his place in Los Angeles. Once he arrived for their meeting, Chenoweth had a hard time hiding her admiration for the Minnesota native's work.

"So, he comes in, and I go, 'Hi. I want to party like it's 1999 and ride your raspberry beret,'" Chenoweth said (via YouTube). "He just was like, 'Wah, wah.'" After the pair ate, Prince showed Chenoweth his large guitar collection and asked her to select her favorite guitar. He then revealed that the instrument she picked once belonged to Elvis Presley. Afterward, Prince brought Chenoweth to his movie room and played a video of the "Wicked" star singing in a production of "Candide." Chenoweth got choked up and recalled, "He said, 'Look at you sing this aria. You inspire me.'" She added, "He said, 'What you do is what I like to do with the guitar,'" before saying, "I love him." The two entertainers formed a friendship over their similar beliefs.

Kristin Chenoweth and Prince shared many memorable times together over the years. As she was nearing her 50th birthday, Chenoweth chatted with People, and she said that Prince imparted wise words about aging that stuck with her. "He said, 'How old are you?' And I think at that time I was like 35 or something, and I said, 'Oh, I'm 35,'" Chenoweth said. "He goes, 'Age is just a number.' And I said, 'How old are you?' He goes, 'I actually don't know.' I thought that was cool. Like, who cares?"

In 2016, Chenoweth told ABC that she'd sung a Prince song to honor the artist after his passing. "Just the other night I did 'Purple Rain' because I wanted to tribute our dear Prince," Chenoweth said. She then stated that Prince once celebrated her with an intimate gathering when she was up for a prestigious award. "One time I was nominated for an Emmy and he said, 'Come over and bring your friends,' and he played for three hours," Chenoweth recalled. She also noted that she and Prince had "special moments" together related to their common beliefs and interests. "We were both a lover of God and a lover of truth and music," Chenoweth said. The celeb concluded, "He gave me a gift by just saying, 'I really like what you do, I like your skill.' It was special."