NEW YORK: Prince didn’t have an orange crush — purple was his favorite color, according to his half-sister Sharon Nelson.

Sharon Nelson says in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday that “contrary to what has been said, purple was and is Prince’s color.” Tyka Nelson, Prince’s only full sibling, told the London Evening Standard in a story published Aug. 21 that though people associate purple with the singer, his favorite color was orange.

The news came as a shock since Prince, who died last year, regularly wore purple, was known as The Purple One and had massive success with “Purple Rain” — the song, soundtrack and film.

Sharon Nelson, Prince’s eldest sibling, says though the late icon “was fond of many colors in the rainbow, he especially loved the color purple because it represented royalty.” She also said “the color purple always made him feel Princely.”

A representative for Prince’s estate didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Earlier this year a judge confirmed Prince’s six siblings to be his rightful heirs, including Tyka Nelson and five half-siblings — Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John R. Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson.

A shade of purple named for Prince was announced earlier this month. The “Purple Rain” hue created by the Pantone Color Institute was dubbed “Love Symbol #2,” paying tribute to Prince’s custom Yamaha piano and the squiggly graphic the singer began using as his name in 1993 in a testy battle with Warner Bros. Records over ownership of some of his biggest hits.