Queen icon Freddie Mercury’s secret child has been revealed five decades after she was born as his bandmates and closest friends kept the news hidden for years
A forthcoming biography is set to send shockwaves through the entertainment industry with a revelation about Freddie Mercury that’s remained under wraps for nearly five decades. The legendary Queen frontman, known for his flamboyant stage presence and enigmatic personal life, reportedly fathered a daughter – an aspect of his life kept firmly out of the public spotlight.
According to the new book titled, Love, Freddie, only a select few within Mercury’s close circle were privy to the truth.
His parents, sister, bandmates, and longtime confidante Mary Austin were reportedly all aware of the secret, which has remained buried until now.
Freddie’s huge secret laid bare
The biography reveals that the child was the result of a brief, unexpected liaison in 1976 with the wife of one of Mercury’s close friends. Now 48, the woman lives in Europe, where she has built a quiet life as a healthcare professional. She is also a mother herself, meaning Mercury is now, posthumously, a grandfather.
Breaking decades of silence, the woman has chosen to share her extraordinary story with acclaimed rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones, whose previous works have chronicled the highs and heartbreaks of the music world’s biggest icons.
Freddie’s daughter ‘always knew’ he was her dad
She detailed how she was raised by a loving family but always knew the music icon was her dad. Before he died of pneumonia caused by Aids in 1991, Freddie gave his daughter 17 volumes of his personal journals.
His daughter had kept them a secret for years but has now handed them over to Jones, which form the basis of the book that’ll be released later this year.
It tells the story of a child who was accidentally conceived during a fling. The news is set to come as a huge shock to Freddie’s fans, as no one had every suggested the existence of a secret love child.
How did Freddie meet the mother of his child?
Freddie had a number of relationships with men and women, including Mary Austin. They met when she was 19 and he was 24, a time before his mega stardom.
The couple lived together and were engaged before Freddie came out as gay. Freddie and Mary never had any children but Mary went on to have two sons with another partner while remaining close to the singer for the rest of his life.
In the early 1980s, Freddie had a romance with Austrian actress Barbara Valentin and his third liaison with a woman, the mother of his child, was kept secret.
Freddie’s daughter reveals the truth in emotional letter
His daughter, only known as B, issued a handwritten letter in the book. It reads: “Freddie Mercury was and is my father. 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. The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people’s standards, unusual and even outrageous.
“That should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession,” the message seen by Daily Mail said.
Jones was approached by B three years ago and initially had reservations. “My instinct was to doubt everything, but I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist,” she said.
Did Freddie help raise his secret daughter?
The author said B has never asked for money and does not want recognition. She said B was not provided for through Freddie’s will, but instead through a private legal arrangement so the secret would be kept.
“His only child was conceived accidentally with the wife of one of his closest friends, while his friend was away on an extended business trip. For the Roman Catholic mother, abortion was out of the question,” Jones told the publication.
She said Freddie was a “hands-on devoted dad” and was the “greatest blessing of his life”. Jones explained they decided B would live with her mother and her husband but Freddie would have his own room at their home. The three friends raised B together and Freddie spoke to his daughter everyday when he was on tour.
Why is Freddie’s daughter speaking out now?
Addressing why she wanted to speak out now, B wrote in a letter included in the book: “After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak.
“Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie. That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone.”
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