A woman claiming to be Freddie Mercury's secret daughter has spoken out, but her assertion has been met with scepticism from the late singer's closest friends. The woman, known only as B, says she was conceived during a fling between Mercury and the wife of a close friend in 1976, and that the Queen frontman maintained a close relationship with her for the final 15 years of his life.
B's claims are detailed in a forthcoming book by Lesley-Ann Jones, titled Love, Freddie. In a handwritten letter, B states: "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." She also claims Mercury entrusted her with 17 journals, which Jones describes as "the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography that the world will ever know."
However, those who knew Mercury best have cast doubt on the story. Mary Austin, a close friend who inherited about half of Mercury's £9m estate, told the Sunday Times: "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." She 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."
Queen guitarist Brian May said he wanted to remain "neutral", while his wife, actress Anita Dobson, dismissed the claims as "fake news". In response, B said she was "devastated" by Austin's comments. Jones defended the validity of the claims, saying a DNA test had been conducted that supported the story, and noted that the remaining members of Queen had not vocally denied it.
