Katt Williams shared a special childhood moment that has stayed with him for decades, crediting Prince for pushing him to see himself differently at a young age. During an interview with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson on the “IMO Podcast,” he said he was dating Prince’s younger cousin at the time, and Prince was in Dayton, Ohio, for a performance when they were introduced.

“I met Prince when I was 12, and he changed the trajectory of belief for me,” Williams said. He explained that Prince immediately stood out to him, not because of the legend he would later become, but because of the presence he already had at that age. 

“This was a guy who was shorter than me. He was already rich and famous, and he had a purpose in life,” he said. Williams added that the moment made him realize he didn’t need to change his height or anything else about himself to be great.

Williams described Prince’s cousin as his first girlfriend, and he remembered being struck by how sharp and quick Prince was the moment they met. “You ever meet somebody and go, ‘Whoo, this person’s way smarter than me,’” he said, reflecting on how he immediately recognized Prince’s brilliance. The two ended up having what he called a “super deep conversation,” and by the end of it, Williams felt they connected in a real way.

The moment that stuck with Williams the most came when Prince walked him outside and noticed his bicycle, which the comedian described as a “tricked out Mongoose.” That was when Prince made it clear that he was 18. Williams admitted that their similar height threw him off, and he hadn’t realized there was such an age gap between them.

Prince’s confidence and talent left a lasting impression. Williams pointed out that Prince had already signed his music deal and produced his first album on his own, playing 26 instruments. Seeing that level of discipline and self-belief at such a young age opened Williams’ eyes to what was possible for him, too. “I knew that I didn’t have to make any changes. I just had to be in the right position and be right myself when it transpires,” he said.

Williams has spoken about Prince on multiple occasions, often calling him a rare talent and a singular presence. This story adds another layer to that admiration, showing how early Prince’s impact reached him and how that encounter shaped his own sense of purpose.