Getty
The entertainment industry said goodbye to a giant on Thursday with the death of Prince, who passed away at the age of 57 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.
Almost instantly after news broke, words of condolences, personal memories and expressions of shock started filling Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as Hollywood reacted to the death of one of their own.
With his incredible influence felt over the music, film and fashion industries, this is a massive loss.
In one of the more surprising online tributes, Will Smith revealed just how close he was to the music icon -- as they actually spoke on Wednesday evening.
"I am stunned and heartbroken. I just spoke with him last night," Smith shared on Facebook. "Today, Jada & I mourn with all of you the loss of a beautiful poet, a true inspiration, and one of the most magnificent artists to ever grace this earth."
"Prince was one of the first artists to put me on game in regard to the industry. He was not only a genius artist, he was kind, funny, beautifully eccentric, curious, imaginative, magical, spiritual, rebellious and extremely intelligent," added Jada Pinkett-Smith in her own post. "He showed me early the power of living one's life by one's own rules and no one else's. There are really no words to express what we have all lost today. To quote my friend Paress, 'Music has lost its heart beat.'"
This 2011 Video of Prince Kicking Kim Kardashian Off His Stage Is Everything Today
"Today, the world lost a creative icon. Michelle and I join millions from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince," President Obama said in a statement. "Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer."
Sheila E., who has a relationship with Prince in the '80s, also released a statement. "The meaning of the word loss has taken on a new meaning this day," she tells PEOPLE. "Thank God love lives forever."
Read Justin Timberlake's lengthy (and moving) tribute to his "idol" right here.
