NEW YORK — Reclusive pop icon Prince was in talks to make a reality television series based at his Paisley Park estate before his death, Netflix said.

Until Prince’s death in April from an accidental overdose of painkillers, his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota had a mythic status for fans, with The Purple One occasionally opening the gates for parties.

Maya Washington, a photographer who befriended Prince in the last years of his life, revealed the reality television project in the latest issue of GQ magazine and said the singer had mixed feelings about it.

"I’m (like), ’Why not? You’re so funny -- why don’t you want anyone to see your sense of humor?’

"And he would shut it down: ’Maya, I can’t be funny. I have to save the world,’" she said.

Netflix confirmed the talks, with a spokesperson saying: "We did have discussions about it, but sadly for all of us, it did not come to fruition prior to his passing."

Such a program would have opened a new genre for Netflix, the on-demand film and television leader that has invested heavily in original series but has stayed away from celebrity reality shows.

Prince built Paisley Park in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen after the success of 1984’s Purple Rain, developing a state-of-the-art recording center with four main studios.

Top artists such as Madonna, Stevie Wonder and R.E.M. would record at Paisley Park, but Prince eventually narrowed its use to himself and select artists.

After his death, his estate opened Paisley Park to guided tours as a way to generate revenue. — AFP