Sadly, it’s been 10 years since Prince departed from us in physical form. But his spirit still echoes through timeless records like “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Automatic.” And speaking of Automatic, if Prince ever rented your home, turning it into Paisley Park 2.0 was—apparently—just that.
According to former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, that’s exactly what happened when Prince rented his Bel-Air property.
Back in 2005, Boozer—then with the Utah Jazz—purchased a home in Bel-Air to use during the offseason. Once the NBA season began, his agent approached him with an unusual request: Prince wanted to rent the house. Boozer was initially hesitant, but a reported $95,000-per-month offer changed his mind.
Midseason, after suffering an injury, Boozer decided to rehab in California and figured he’d stop by his property. What he found caught him completely off guard.
“I know I haven’t spent much time here, but this doesn’t look like my house,” Boozer recalled.
After entering the gate, the transformation was immediately obvious.
“There was this big purple rug going from the motor court all the way to the front door. I’m like, ‘What the f**k is going on?’”
And that was just the beginning.
Inside, the home had been fully reimagined in Prince’s signature style. Boozer said all of his original furniture had been removed. In its place: black and purple carpeting, walls covered with images of Prince, and entire rooms repurposed. A weight room had been converted into a nightclub—complete with a DJ booth. A guest room became a hair salon, another a massage room, and even the bathroom featured a purple, heart-shaped mirror.
Naturally, Boozer was frustrated. None of these changes were part of the rental agreement. His legal team confirmed he had grounds to pursue a breach-of-contract case. But when it came down to it, Boozer couldn’t bring himself to take action against an artist he respected so deeply.
Prince, for his part, promised everything would be restored exactly as it was.
And, to Boozer’s surprise, he delivered.
In the end, the house was returned to its original state—no permanent damage, no lingering disputes. Just a wild, one-of-a-kind story that feels very on-brand for one of music’s most enigmatic figures.
Call it the most extravagant version of a simple rule: clean up what you mess up.
RIP Prince
