EXCLUSIVE: Paul Anka's Astonishing Dying Regret Revealed — The 84-Year-Old's Belief He is To Blame for Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's Deaths
Ailing Paul Anka opened up in his memoir about his haunting regret.
Dec. 2 2025, Published 7:19 p.m. ET
Ailing Paul Anka opened up in his memoir My Way about a haunting regret he says has stayed with him for decades – whether his actions indirectly contributed to the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the ailing singer-songwriter, 84, whose career spans more than 60 years, recounts a series of encounters with the young Fayed that left him questioning fate and responsibility.
Anka – who has recently confessed he is set to retire – first met Dodi Fayed, then a young man in Los Angeles, after his father bought Harrods.
Dodi’s Desperate Plea For Cash
Anka became a kind of mentor figure for Dodi, warning him about the dangers of fast living and cocaine.
"After his father bought Harrods, this young kid called Dodi Fayed turned up in Los Angeles. Sweet enough guy, but very much a daddy's boy," Anka wrote.
Over time, Anka became a kind of mentor figure for Dodi, warning him about the dangers of fast living and cocaine.
Their relationship, however, took a fateful turn when Dodi called Anka asking to borrow $150,000 – money Anka reluctantly agreed to lend.
"I can't tell my dad," Dodi is said to have wailed. "Could you just loan it to me for a week?"
Anka continued in his book, describing how the loan apparently went unpaid initially, prompting him to contact Fayed Senior.
Anka wrote: "What if I hadn't loaned Dodi the money? What if I hadn't called Fayed? Would Dodi have stayed in LA? Would he – and Princess Diana – still be alive today?"
Fatal Crash Still Haunts Singer
The singer added the experience haunted him.
The singer added the experience haunted him, linking Dodi's well-known paranoia about kidnappings and high-speed travel to his and Diana's fatal crash in Paris.
"One of Dodi's problems was that he was very paranoid… that's why he always went fast whenever he got into a car. Fast, fast, fast," Anka wrote. "Then I started wondering, 'What if I hadn't loaned Dodi the money?'"
A source said: "Paul is going to go to his grave with this regret."
The singer, whose lyrics for Frank Sinatra's My Way have become iconic, has spent decades observing celebrity excess, including the tragic self-destruction of Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr.
"Basically, Elvis destroyed himself. It got to the point where he'd only see me in his suite, where he had aluminium foil on the windows because he never wanted to see daylight," Anka recalled.
Similarly, he observed Sammy Davis Jr. spiraling through substance abuse, gambling, and personal excess.
Health Routine Keeps Him Thriving
The 30th anniversary of the crash is approaching.
He said: "Over the 30 years I knew Sammy Davis Jr, I witnessed him slowly killing himself.
"He not only drank too much and took too many drugs, but he gambled away every single cent he owned and became absolutely obsessed with porn."
Despite his lifelong immersion in show business, Anka credits his longevity to careful health choices.
"I never became a drinker," he has said. "I never became a smoker…I made up my mind that if I were going to continue to try and create… I gotta be in good health… and it's paid off."
He described a strict routine of ingesting olive oil and lemon juice while fasting and exercising – along with eliminating toxic people from his life – for his longevity.
"I'm in this passage where I don't want any people to put any stress in my life," he said. "Go away! Don't need you. That's the big killer."
Anka Teases Imminent Retirement Plans
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Anka has hinted at plans to retire.
Anka continues to perform internationally, attracting audiences that include teenagers discovering his classics via TikTok.
"It broadened the parameters," he said of his recent shows, including a 10,000-strong audience in Mexico.
He added: "Thirty percent of them are just teenagers with albums and screaming."
The singer is also preparing for the release of HBO Max's documentary Paul Anka: His Way on December 1, and a new album titled Inspirations of Life and Love early next year.
In an admission of his frailty, Anka also said in a recent chat he knows his "day is coming" for retirement.
He added about his desire to soon quit showbusiness: "(To) all my buddies who are not singing well anymore. I say, 'Keep your dignity and stop short-changing the consumer and ride out a hero and a winner.'"
