Inside Freddie Mercury’s Private World: Love Life, Alleged Daughter

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Many books explore the life, music, and enduring impact of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, creating a large collection of information about them.

No biographies revealed that Freddie Mercury might have had a daughter until Lesley-Ann Jones’s 2025 book, Love, Freddie.

The woman known as B, who Jones said was the result of an affair Freddie had in 1976, has passed away after a battle with spinal cancer. Her husband, Thomas, told the Daily Mail that she is now reunited with her father and that her ashes were scattered over the Alps.

Last year, author Sarah Jones, known for her books on Mercury, posted on X that she had verified the information about B’s supposed discovery before sharing it publicly. She said she did this after fans asked for proof.

No one directly refuted the statement. Freddie, who passed away on November 24, 1991, from complications of AIDS, was known for his energetic performances, but he generally kept his private life guarded.

He revealed he had HIV/AIDS just one day before he died at the age of 45, acknowledging the widespread media speculation about his health in his final weeks.

Until now, I’ve kept this information private to protect the people around me,” he said in a statement released through his manager. “But I feel it’s time my friends and fans around the world knew what’s happening. I hope you’ll join me, my doctors, and everyone else fighting this difficult illness. I’ve always valued my privacy – as many of you know, I rarely give interviews – and I would appreciate it if everyone would continue to respect that.

I’ve always been fascinated by Freddie Mercury – born Farrokh Bulsara, if you can believe it! He wasn’t just a performer, he was incredibly complex, both as an artist and as a person. Growing up in Zanzibar, now Tanzania, within a Zoroastrian family, really shaped who he was, I think, giving him so much depth and range.

During the early 1970s, he dated Mary Austin, a public relations professional who worked at a Kensington shop. She had previously dated his bandmate, Brian May, before becoming romantically involved with the charismatic lead singer of Queen.

Freddie Mercury initially presented himself as heterosexual, but in December 1976, he revealed to Mary Austin that he was bisexual. She, however, didn’t fully believe that was the complete story.

I remember when Austin shared this with me back in 2013 – it’s a moment that really stuck with me. Honestly, I was a little slow on the uptake at first, it took me a while to fully understand what was happening. He seemed relieved after finally telling me he was bisexual, but I’ll never forget responding with, ‘Freddie, I don’t think it’s bisexuality, I think you’re gay.’ It was a pretty direct conversation, and looking back, it feels very honest.

Freddie Mercury met his hairdresser, Jim Hutton, in 1985, two years before he was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. They were a couple until Mercury’s death. Hutton himself lived with an HIV diagnosis, managing it with medication, but sadly passed away from lung cancer in 2010.

Austin has always been a close friend, and to this day, he keeps the location of Mercury’s ashes a secret. He told the Mail that Mercury didn’t want fans trying to find and disturb his remains – something that has happened to other celebrities. He respected Mercury’s wishes and intends to keep the location private forever.

Since she knew Mercury’s secrets, she didn’t believe the story that he had a hidden daughter.

According to Austin, Freddie was a very open person, and he doubts Freddie would have kept the news of a happy event hidden from those closest to him, including himself. He shared this with the Sunday Times last year when Jones’ book came out.

B stated that Mercury had entrusted her with his personal journals—a collection of 17 volumes—which she then passed on to Jones.

She told the Daily Mail last May that her father, as his only child and closest relative, had given her his private notebooks – a lifetime of personal thoughts, memories, and feelings. She believes it’s time to share his true story, after years of inaccurate rumors and misleading information. ‘After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak.’

Austin didn’t rule out the possibility of Mercury having a child, but she said it would be very surprising if it were true, according to the Times.

Honestly, you think you know Freddie Mercury? Get ready, because the things I’ve discovered about the real Freddie… they’re incredible. Over the years, through interviews with him and people who truly knew him, I’ve pieced together so much about his private life, and believe me, it’s about to blow your mind. Let me tell you everything…

As a lifelong Queen fan, I’ve always been fascinated by Freddie Mercury’s incredible journey. It’s amazing to remember he wasn’t always Freddie – he was born Farrokh Bulsara! Many of us were deeply moved by Rami Malek’s portrayal of him in the 2018 film, Bohemian Rhapsody, which really brought his story to life.

Oh my god, Freddie Mercury! He was born on September 5th, 1946, in Zanzibar, this incredible island off the coast of Tanzania – it was a British protectorate back then. And his family? They were Parsi, which is just so fascinating! They followed the Zoroastrian religion and his ancestors actually came all the way from Persia! It’s just… everything about his background is amazing, and it all shaped the legend he became, you know?

Farrokh Bulsara’s father, Bomi, worked as a high-court cashier for the British government. This allowed the family – Bomi, his wife Jer, Farrokh, and their sister Kashmira – to enjoy a comfortable and privileged life, which was quite different from the experiences of many people on their island.

As a parent, I always advise considering the best educational environment for your child, and that’s exactly what this family did. Back in 1954, when their son was eight, they enrolled him in St. Peter’s Church of England School in Panchgani, India. It was a bit of a distance from their home city – what we now know as Mumbai, but then Bombay – but they felt it was the right fit for him.

Everyone who knew him remembers Mercury arriving at St. Peter’s as a very shy boy. He was self-conscious about his teeth, which led to the nickname “Bucky.” However, he quickly began to come out of his shell, and his teachers started calling him “Freddie” as he discovered his own personality and interests.

His mother shared with The Telegraph in 2011 that he was excited about going, seeing it as a fun adventure, as other friends’ children had attended before. She explained that Freddie had a natural musical talent from the very beginning, constantly thinking about music and able to pick up and play any melody he heard.

After four years at St. Peter’s school, he started his first band with some friends, called the Hectics. According to Gita Choksi, a student at a nearby girls’ school, he completely transformed when he performed. As she described in the biography Freddie Mercury: The Definitive Biography, he became a confident and lively performer, clearly thriving on stage.

In 2016, Subash Shah, a friend of Freddie Mercury, shared a story with journalist Anvar Alikhan. He explained that Freddie was actually quite shy, but became a natural performer on stage. Shah recalled a time when they were teenagers on a Zanzibar beach. When music started playing, Freddie spontaneously began to dance the twist. His performance was so captivating that a group of local girls, even those wearing burqas, gathered around and joined in.

“That was the power of his showmanship, even back then.”

Questions about Freddie Mercury’s sexuality started to emerge during his time at St. Peter’s School. Janet Smith, a fellow student, recalled in Lesley-Ann Jones’ 2012 biography, Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury, that while homosexuality was generally frowned upon, people seemed to accept it in Freddie’s case. She explained that, unusually, it was considered ‘OK’ with him.

In 1963, the year Zanzibar gained independence from British rule, a revolution broke out on the island. This unrest involved violence against the wealthier Indian community, prompting Freddie Mercury’s family, the Bulsaras, to leave Zanzibar and seek refuge in London, ultimately settling in Feltham, Middlesex.

Freddie Mercury began studying graphic design at Isleworth Polytechnic in West London, but he quickly became immersed in the vibrant and exciting culture of Swinging London.

Freddie’s family was full of professionals – lawyers and accountants mostly – but he dreamed of being a musician, not joining their ranks, his mother shared with The Telegraph in 2012, chuckling. His parents assumed it was just a youthful whim and that he’d eventually pursue more conventional studies. They were wrong.

He went on to study Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College, where he met Tim Staffell, a bassist who was in a band called Smile with Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums.

I remember back in early 1969 when Tim Staffell brought Freddie Mercury around. He quickly became part of the scene – Brian Taylor and I would sell stuff at a stall in Kensington Market with him, and he even moved in with us, sharing a flat with Brian and me. It wasn’t long before he made it pretty clear he wanted to be the band’s singer. He was always at our gigs, and honestly, he’d shout things like, ‘I could show you how to really do this if I was up there!’ He was incredibly determined, that’s for sure.

By the beginning of 1970, Staffell had decided to leave, so May, Taylor, and Mercury formed a new band. Mercury quickly started to shape the group—which soon included bassist John Deacon—encouraging them to adopt a more dramatic stage presence and insisting they call themselves Queen.

He later told Rolling Stone that the name was powerful, easily understood, and worked well visually. He also noted that this was just one of the reasons it was a good choice, as it also allowed for many different meanings.

Around this time, Farrokh Bulsara officially became Freddie Mercury. Brian May explained in the 2000 documentary, Freddie Mercury: The Untold Story, that changing his name was a key part of creating his stage persona. May believes it allowed him to fully become the performer he envisioned, separating his private self from the larger-than-life figure he presented to the world.

While Queen was forming as a band, Freddie Mercury was also starting a relationship that would become incredibly important to him.

In 1969, Brian May introduced Freddie Mercury to Mary Austin, who worked at the trendy Biba boutique in West London. May later shared in a 2000 documentary that the two of them often visited the shop just to see the attractive staff. After May went on a date with Austin, Mercury became interested in her and started visiting the store regularly for about five months before finally asking her out.

I have to admit, when I first met him, he was a little intimidating! He was such a unique, artistic guy – unlike anyone I’d ever known. I remember thinking how incredibly confident he was, something I always struggled with. But we really connected and grew together, and I just fell for him. As I told The Daily Mail back in 2013, it all just…happened from there.

When Freddie Mercury’s career with Queen began to flourish, the life of the woman he was involved with – who came from a working-class family and had two deaf parents – was transformed. Five months after Queen released their first album in December 1973, Freddie proposed to her.

Austin shared with the Daily Mail that when he was 23, he received a surprising Christmas gift. He described getting a large box, only to find it contained another box, and then another, in a playful series of layers. Finally, inside the smallest box, was a beautiful jade ring. Completely speechless, Austin remembered being confused. It wasn’t the gift he anticipated at all, so he asked his partner which finger the ring should go on. That’s when he was proposed to! His partner asked, “Will you marry me?” Austin was shocked but quietly replied, “Yes, I will.”

People close to Freddie Mercury never quite understood his relationship with Mary Austin – and it wasn’t simply because she was a woman. According to Jones, who toured with the band in the 80s, Austin was very quiet, a stark contrast to Freddie’s personality. However, Freddie had many different sides to himself, and Austin seemed to connect with his more private, home-loving side.

As he traveled the world and discovered new parts of himself, he didn’t show much interest in getting married.

I found a beautiful vintage wedding dress in a little shop, and since Freddie hadn’t mentioned marriage again, I decided to subtly ask if I should buy it. He said no, he’d changed his mind, and we never got married. I was sad, but I’d secretly suspected that was how it would end, as told by Austin.

By December 1976, after Queen had released five albums, Jim Hutton noticed Freddie Mercury was going out frequently and suspected he was having an affair.

In her 2025 book, Love, Freddie, Jones wrote that Freddie Mercury reportedly had a daughter, known only as B. Jones believes Mercury’s songs “Bijou” and “Don’t Try So Hard” were inspired by B, and that he affectionately called her his “treasure” – the French word is trésor.

But that’s not the confession Mercury made to Austin in late 1976.

I’ll always remember that conversation. It took me a while to understand what he was telling me, I was a little inexperienced back then. He seemed relieved after finally sharing that he was bisexual, though I actually told him at the time, ‘Freddie, I don’t believe you’re bisexual, I think you’re gay.’

For a while, they maintained a somewhat unusual arrangement: Mercury was always seated at dinner parties with Austin and whichever boyfriend he was with at the time, one on each side.

Jones wondered how strange the situation was. He said, ‘Why don’t you go live your own life? Don’t stay completely dependent on someone who can’t give you a normal relationship.’ After they split up, she even proposed to Freddie that they try to have a child. But Freddie told her he’d prefer to get another cat instead.

Freddie Mercury purchased an apartment for Mary Austin close to his own home, and she continued to work for him as a trusted assistant. Although she had two children with the artist Piers Cameron and later married and divorced businessman Nick Holford, Mercury always considered Austin to be one of his closest and most important people.

In a 1985 interview, he explained why none of his partners could ever take Mary’s place. He said it wasn’t possible because Mary was his only true friend, and he didn’t need anyone else. He considered her his wife, even though they weren’t legally married.

By the late 1970s, the band felt very at home in Munich, and the city’s open-minded atmosphere allowed Freddie Mercury to explore his sexuality. He became involved with his manager, Paul Prenter, and had a romance with German actress Barbara Valentin. Brian May later remembered that Mercury would fulfill his recording obligations, but was eager to leave and enjoy the city’s nightlife.

As the 1980s progressed, Freddie Mercury’s life was deeply affected by the AIDS epidemic sweeping through the gay community. The exact way he contracted the illness that ultimately caused his death is still unknown.

Oh my god, I’ve read so much about Freddie, and this story just kills me. Apparently, back in 1984, Paul Gambaccini bumped into him at a club in London. Gambaccini was so worried and actually asked him if the AIDS crisis had changed how he felt about, you know… everything. And Freddie, being Freddie, just said, and I quote, ‘Darling, my attitude is ‘fk it.’ I’m doing everything with everybody!’ Can you imagine?! Gambaccini said he immediately felt sick, like he just knew Freddie was going to die. It’s just… heartbreaking. He was so brave and lived life to the absolute fullest, even knowing what was coming. It just proves how incredible he was.

Following a memorable performance at the Live Aid concert in London in 1985, he was tested for HIV and the results came back negative. After that, he left his life of partying and found peace at his home in Kensington. He later admitted, “My life revolved around sex. I had many partners, but the AIDS crisis made me change the way I lived.”

After being fired by Freddie Mercury, Prenter sought revenge by giving an interview to the British tabloid The Sun in 1987. In it, he publicly revealed Mercury’s sexuality and his relationship with Jim Hutton, who had been Mercury’s partner since 1985, and also mentioned a previous blood test. That same year, Mercury underwent another test, which gave him different results.

Mercury was dodging calls from his doctor, so the news had to be delivered to his close friend, Austin. She later described feeling devastated when she heard it. Despite increasing media attention, Mercury and the band became very private and protective of themselves.

Back in 1989, he gathered the group and explained, according to Taylor, ‘You likely understand what’s going on with me.’ He then added that he didn’t want his issue to become public or affect his work, stating, ‘I just want to keep working until I physically can’t anymore, and I’d appreciate your support in that.’

Honestly, after everything happened, May said it was like we all just…scattered. We each dealt with it privately, feeling awful, and that was it. No big discussions, no checking in…just everyone quietly suffering on their own. It’s still so strange to think about, but that’s exactly what she told me. It feels so…raw, even now.

As a lifestyle expert, I always say it’s important to know when to slow down. And that’s exactly what Freddie Mercury did. After pouring his heart and soul into Queen’s fourteenth album, Innuendo, which came out in February 1991, he decided to step away from the recording studio and enjoy time at home. It was a beautiful way to prioritize peace and well-being after a demanding creative period.

His mother explained to The Telegraph that he shielded them by not talking about these issues. She said that while things are different now, it would have been incredibly difficult for him to share at the time, and they understood and respected his privacy.

His health declined after he stopped taking his medication, and he experienced several episodes of blindness. He increasingly isolated himself, though his friends Austin and Hutton stayed with him. He consistently denied having AIDS until he publicly acknowledged it in a statement on November 23, 1991.

After a lot of rumors in the media, I want to confirm that I have tested positive for HIV and have AIDS. I chose to keep this private to protect the privacy of my family and friends. But now, I feel it’s important for my fans and friends around the world to know the truth, and I hope you’ll join me, my doctors, and everyone else fighting this devastating disease.

He died the next day at the age of 45.

Freddie Mercury’s funeral was held a few days later, featuring a performance by Aretha Franklin. In keeping with his private nature, he was cremated, and Mary Austin, who inherited most of his estate and home, was entrusted with his ashes. She has never revealed where she scattered them.

I quietly left the house with the urn one morning, trying to make it seem like a normal day so the staff wouldn’t get suspicious—they love to gossip, you know. But no one will ever find out where he’s buried, because that’s what he wanted.

Because the way Mercury saw it, some parts of life are better left as a mystery.

When someone asked Freddie Mercury to explain the meaning of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he famously responded, “Let them figure it out.” He then added that, like any true artist, he wouldn’t dissect his own work – saying simply, “If it resonates with you, that’s all that matters.”

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2026-01-15 22:19