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Court orders DNA testing of Prince's blood in anticipation of potential paternity claims

Relatives of the late musician Prince appeared in a Minnesota court Monday to start the process of who gets what from his multi-million dollar estate
Prince's relatives in court over estate 02:10

Consider this a case of trying to be prepared for anything.

An order authorizing genetic testing was filed Friday in Carver County, Minnesota to allow DNA testing on a sample of Prince's blood. The results of that test could then be used to settle any potential claims of paternity against the "Purple Rain" singer, who died April 21 at his Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

Though the late singer's body was cremated shortly after his death, a vial of his blood was extracted and kept on file by the Midwest Medical Examiner, according to the document.

While there have not been any claims from individuals alleging Prince has any as-yet-unidentified direct heirs, the filing recognizes "that parentage issues might arise and that timing can be of concern when conducting genetic testing."

Earlier this week, Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and four of his five surviving half-siblings appeared in court to begin sorting out the late singer's multimillion-dollar estate, for which he has no known will. During that hearing, a judge formalized the appointment of Bremer Trust to handle the estate's financial matters.

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