Prince's decision to skip 'We Are the World' wasn't about regret, says Sheila E.: 'It was just too much'

After years of fan speculation about why Prince turned down “We Are the World,” Sheila E., his longtime collaborator says she knows the truth.

On the red carpet for the upcoming documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, Sheila E. opened up about her involvement in the star-studded charity single — and Prince’s notable absence. She specifically claims that he had no regrets about his decision to sit out the recording. 

“He liked it," she told PEOPLE, squashing rumors that Prince took issue with the Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie penned power ballad. "It's really not just about the song, it was really about the camaraderie of everyone coming together for that reason."

“We Are the World” gathered dozens of pop and rock luminaries — including Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, and Bruce Springsteen — on one unprecedented night to raise millions of dollars in humanitarian aid for African famine relief. But at that time, Prince and Shelia E were already performing regularly on his Purple Rain Tour. 

"We were already giving to so many,” she explained. “Not just foundations, but a lot of the times on that tour before we even got to that night, we were already stopping at children's hospitals and doing free concerts for the kids who have cancer and disabilities.”

She continued, “So, it's not like he missed out or anything like that. That was his decision, and that's fine. It's not like he hated it or loved it or anything like that. It was just too much."

The entire recording session occurred on the night of Jan. 28, 1985 and Shelia E, who spoke to Prince throughout, maintains that he “made the right decision.”

She divulges more details about their conversations in The Greatest Night in Pop, also discussing her realization that she was invited to participate as a means of luring Prince to the project. But the legendary musician, a close collaborator of his, who was also briefly engaged to the singer in the 1980s, sensed Prince would not be swayed on the matter.

"I already knew he wasn't going to come because there was too many people and he would feel uncomfortable," she says in the doc. "I told Lionel, I said, 'I'm going to go.' They never intended on having me sing a verse, which was a little bit heartbreaking."

Though she admits to feeling “used” at the time, Shelia E. now says she feels "no ill will" toward anyone involved in making "We Are the World" happen.

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