Freddie Mercury’s friends and fans left divided by claims Queen frontman fathered a secret daughter
The claim comes from a woman known as ‘B’, who says she was born in 1976 after a brief affair between Mercury and the wife of a close friend
By Callum Wells
New allegations that Freddie Mercury fathered a secret daughter have sparked debate among fans and those who knew the Queen frontman best.
The claim comes from a woman known only as ‘B’, who says she was born in 1976 after a brief affair between Mercury and the wife of a close friend, according to the Guardian. B insists that Mercury was devoted to her throughout the last 15 years of his life.
“Freddie Mercury was and is my father,” she writes in a handwritten letter set to be published in Love, Freddie, a new book due for release next month. “We had a very close and loving relationship from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life. He adored me and was devoted to me.”
Scepticism from some
B, a medical professional based in Europe, says Mercury left her 17 journals covering his final years – described by biographer Lesley-Ann Jones as “the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography that the world will ever know”.
The allegations first surfaced publicly in May and, according to Jones, were reportedly known within Mercury’s inner circle. Yet the claims have met with scepticism from some close to the singer.
Queen guitarist Brian May said he prefers to stay “neutral”, while his wife, actress Anita Dobson, branding the story “fake news” in an interview with The Mirror. Mercury’s longtime friend Mary Austin questioned whether Mercury would have kept a daughter secret.
“I’ve never known of any child, or of any diaries,” Mary Austen – Freddy Mercury’s longtime friend
“Freddie had a glorious openness, and I cannot imagine he would have wanted to, or been able to, keep such a joyful event a secret, either from me or other people closest to him,” Austin told The Sunday Times.
Austin inherited half of Mercury’s estimated £9 million estate after he died of bronchial pneumonia in 1991. Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 and was openly bisexual.
“The truth is that I am simply not the guardian of such a secret,” Austin added. “I’ve never known of any child, or of any diaries. If Freddie had indeed had a child without me knowing anything about it, that would be astonishing to me.”
DNA test
B said she was “devastated” by Austin’s response.
Lesley-Ann Jones, author of Love, Freddie, has defended the claims, revealing that a DNA test was done to support B’s story. Jones also pointed out the absence of denial from Queen’s remaining members and Mercury’s sister.
“The real inner circle – the other members of Queen and Freddie’s sister – would have denied this if they could,” Jones said. “They cannot because, as Freddie’s daughter says, they know it is true.”
Jones has teased further revelations in Love, Freddie that she says will “overturn everything we thought we knew about him and his legacy”.