A woman claiming to be Freddie Mercury's secret daughter has spoken out, as a new book reignites debate over the late Queen frontman's private life. The woman, known only as B, says she was conceived during a fling with a close friend's wife in 1976 and is now 48 years old.
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.' She claims Mercury entrusted her with 17 journals covering his final years, which author Lesley-Ann Jones calls 'the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography'.
The claims have faced pushback from Mercury's inner circle. Queen guitarist Brian May remained 'neutral', but his wife Anita Dobson dismissed them as 'fake news'. Mary Austin, a close friend who inherited half of Mercury's estate, said she could not imagine him keeping such a secret. 'I've never known of any child, or of any diaries,' she told the Sunday Times.
B responded by saying she was 'devastated' by Austin's comments. Jones, whose book Love, Freddie is due next month, defends the claims, citing a DNA test and the lack of denial from Queen members. She says the book will 'overturn everything we thought we knew about him and his legacy'.
