A new biography about Freddie Mercury reveals that the Queen frontman had a secret daughter with whom he maintained a close bond until his death in 1991.
According to Love, Freddie, the child was the result of an unintended affair Mercury had in 1976 with the wife of a close friend. The biography claims Mercury maintained regular contact with his daughter and entrusted her with 17 volumes of personal diaries, which she kept private for decades.
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The woman, referred to only as “B,” is a 48-year-old medical professional living in Europe. She shared the contents of these journals with rock biographer Lesley-Ann Jones for the book.
As reported by the Daily Mail, a handwritten letter from B—who wishes to remain anonymous—states:
“Freddie Mercury was and is my father. We shared a very close, loving relationship from the moment I was born through to the final 15 years of his life. He adored and was deeply devoted to me. While the circumstances of my birth may seem unusual or even shocking to some, that should come as no surprise. It never lessened his love or care for me. He cherished me like a prized treasure.”
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Her identity is reportedly known only to those in Mercury’s closest circle. Mercury began writing the diaries on June 20, 1976, shortly after learning about the pregnancy, just two days after Queen released their hit single You’re My Best Friend from the album A Night at the Opera.
The journals recount his early life in Zanzibar, where he was born Farrokh Bulsara to Parsi-Indian parents on September 5, 1946. He wrote about attending a British-style boarding school in India and his family’s escape from Zanzibar during the 1964 revolution, eventually settling in Middlesex, north-west London.
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His final diary entry was penned on July 31, 1991, as his health declined. Mercury passed away at the age of 45 from bronchial pneumonia related to AIDS. In another letter featured in the biography, B explains her decision to share the journals after 30 years of silence:
“After more than three decades of secrecy, misinformation, and speculation, it’s time for Freddie to tell his own story. Those who knew about me remained loyal to him by keeping his biggest secret. Choosing to come forward now, at this stage of my life, is entirely my own decision. I’ve not been pressured or persuaded. He entrusted his private notebooks to me, his only child and rightful heir, as a written record of his inner thoughts, memories, and experiences.”
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Biographer Lesley-Ann Jones said B contacted her three years ago. “Initially, I was skeptical,” she told the Daily Mail. “But I’m now absolutely convinced she’s telling the truth and not making this up.”
