It’s been 34 years since Queen legend Freddie Mercury died, and now details of his alleged secret child have come to light.
Mercury died in November 1991 at the age of 45, his cause of death being bronchial pneumonia as a result of AIDS.
The We Will Rock You hitmaker had released a public statement just 24 hours earlier, confirming that he had tested HIV positive and had AIDS.
Mercury famously had relationships with both men and women throughout his life, having once stated he was bisexual.
The ‘love of [his] life’, though, was Mary Austin, whom he began dating in the early 70s and enjoyed a long-term romance with. Following their split, they remained very close friends, and Austin later inherited his London home.
While Austin went on to marry painting artist Piers Cameron and have two children – one of whom Mercury was godfather to – her rock star ex allegedly fathered a child with another woman after striking up a brief fling with a pal’s wife.
In a new book titled Love, Freddie, written by biographer Lesley-Ann Jones, the so-called secret daughter speaks out for the first time.
She was born in 1976 – one year after Bohemian Rhapsody became a hit – but is referred to only as ‘B’ in the biography.
Up until now, it’s believed only Mercury’s Queen bandmates, parents, sister, and former partner, Austin, knew about the child’s identity.
According to the Daily Mail, a handwritten letter from B is included in the new book, stating: ‘Freddie Mercury was and is my father.’
It’s believed she is far from an estranged daughter, as B claims: ‘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.’
She adds that Mercury ‘cherished [her] like a treasured possession.’
‘After more than three decades of lies, speculation, and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak,’ B adds, saying Mercury’s loved ones kept his ‘greatest secret’ out of ‘loyalty’ to him.
‘That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone.’
She also claims her father gave her 17 volumes of his personal journals before his devastating death.
Now aged 48, B lives in Europe and works in medicine. She also has children of her own.
As for Jones, she explained to the Mail that she was dubious when B first reached out to her, and her instinct was to ‘doubt everything’.
‘But I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist,’ the writer declares.
Jones has also written books on the likes of David Bowie, John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, and members of the Rolling Stones.
She says B first contacted her three years ago, but says the mystery child ‘never asked for money’ and ‘does not want recognition’.
‘Both Freddie and her stepfather left her extremely wealthy,’ claims Jones. ‘She was not provided for through Freddie’s will, but by a private, legal arrangement, so no one will find her mentioned there.’
She adds: ‘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.’
While the daughter was raised by her mother and her mother’s husband, it’s believed Mercury had a room at their house, allowing him to see her and maintain contact.
He also spoke to his daughter ‘every day’, even while away recording and touring, as he was a ‘hands-on’ father.
B says she always knew Mercury was her dad. The identity of her mother has always remained a closely guarded secret, but it’s understood she died several years ago.
After splitting from Austin – Mercury later still referred to her as his ‘only friend’ – the We Are the Champions vocalist became subject to intense scrutiny and speculation regarding his sexuality.
Having drifted further towards the gay scene, he began an intense relationship with German restaurateur Winfried ‘Winnie” Kirchberger.
By 1985, he had begun another long-term relationship with Irish-born hairdresser Jim Hutton, who died in 2010.
Mercury once referred to him as his ‘husband’ and said he couldn’t have ‘asked for better’.
Hutton, who tested positive for HIV in 1990, was by Mercury’s side when he died. The Don’t Stop Me Now rocker was cremated wearing a gold wedding band given to him by Hutton in 1986.
Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury’s Secret Life and Love Hardcover – 5 Sept. 2025 is released on September 5.
Representatives for Mary Austin have been contacted for comment.
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