A new book, "Who's That Girl: The Untold, Definitive History of New Girl" by Thea Glassman, reveals how Prince's unexpected guest appearance on the Fox sitcom in its third season helped revive the show at a difficult point in its run. The Hollywood Reporter has shared an exclusive excerpt detailing how star Zooey Deschanel initially thought the request for Prince to appear was a hoax, and how his hands-on involvement in the episode's writing, direction and design became a turning point for the series.

Prince's team approached Deschanel directly by email, having previously turned down a smaller cameo role in an earlier episode that he considered too racy. His eventual appearance, in the episode titled "Prince", came as showrunner Liz Meriwether grappled with falling ratings, network pressure to broaden the show's appeal, and the fallout from a contentious storyline involving Max Greenfield's character. The episode went on to become one of New Girl's most-watched instalments, standing out among a run of guest stars that included Taylor Swift, Megan Fox and Jamie Lee Curtis. The book is published on 28 July by St. Martin's Publishing Group.