Mary Austin, 74, tells of ‘total disbelief’ at claims legendary Queen frontman fathered youngster during ‘outrageous’ fling with close pal’s wife
The ‘love’ of Freddie Mercury’s life said it was “implausible” that he had a secret child. Mary Austin, 74, has told of her “total disbelief” of claims the legendary Queen frontman fathered the youngster accidentally during an “outrageous” fling with a close pal’s wife in 1976 – a year after the band’s iconic single Bohemian Rhapsody topped the charts.
According to forthcoming book Love, Freddie the girl’s existence was a closely-guarded secret known only to Mercury’s inner circle of confidentes – including Mary whom the singer described as “the love of my life”.
But Mary, 74, his former girlfriend and companion from their meeting in 1969 until his 1991 death, has denied any knowledge of the child.
She said: “I was named as a party to a story that spread across the world. And so, as I thought about it more, my disbelief turned into bewilderment as to how this story, referencing me, had hatched without a single person making contact with me first.
“Despite it being claimed that I knew about the existence of a secret child and kept it secret not one person has attempted to contact me for a right of reply.”
The book suggests Freddie, who died aged 45 of bronchial pneumonia caused by Aids, had an affair with a pal’s wife in 1976 resulting in the birth of a child known in the book only as ‘B’. It appears to rely on 17 volumes of diaries which it is said Freddie started writing when he found out he was going to be a dad and he later handed over to B.
The book includes a letter from B – now 48 and a medical professional living in Europe – who said she “had a very close relationship” with her famous dad “from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life”.
She said he “entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me,” adding: “Mary Austin, the wonderful woman who was to all intents and purposes his wife until death parted them knew absolutely everything about him, including all his undisclosed secrets.”
But Mary said: “The truth is that I am simply not the guardian of such a secret. I’ve never known of any child or of any diaries.
“I have no knowledge of the diaries or them being ‘entrusted’ to a child. I was with him most days in the months before his death. If Freddie had indeed had a child without me knowing anything about it that would be astonishing to me.”
She also had no knowledge of a claim Mercury – who was said to have left his “daughter” out of his will to safeguard her privacy – had gifted her a legacy through a “private legal arrangement” so no-one could find her.
Mary inherited his house and half his privately-owned shares. She said: “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.”
A child would have brought “tremendous joy to Freddie and everybody who cared about him” including his parents Bomi and Jer Bulsara who “would have embraced her with all the love in their hearts”.
“But I do not remember Freddie ever speaking about creating a family,” Mary added. “It is hard for me to regard the claims as plausible – that Freddie was in the secret child’s life most days and Freddie had his own room at each of the houses she lived.
“Not least in view of his incredibly hectic schedule and extent to which he is in the public eye.”
She said she hoped publisher Whitefox had “rigorously investigated the veracity of the claims and satisfied itself this book aligns with its, and the industry’s, values and ethics”.
“I had to say something to prevent my silence being interpreted as confirmation,” she said. “Speaking now is not a decision I have taken lightly. I wanted to carefully consider everything being said so I could approach the topic responsibly, most of all for Freddie, who is not here to speak for himself.”
She is not the first to question the claims. Queen guitarist Brian May’s actress wife Anita Dobson has said: “It seems inconceivable he would have a child with someone we don’t know about.
“Where is she? Step forward. If she exists.” Lesley-Ann Jones Austin, who has written the book, said she was “surprised” by Mary’s response.
“I approached her for an interview countless times over many years but she never once responded,” she said. “Mary was not party to a secret that Freddie had a child? I do not suggest that she was. Nor do I suggest that she was aware of or was passed any diaries.”
She said it was Freddie’s daughter’s claim – not her own – that Mary “knew absolutely everything about” the star. B – via Jones – said: “I am devastated by Mary Austin’s alleged response. For 34 years, the truth of Freddie’s life has been distorted, twisted and rewritten, but she said nothing.
“Here, she has not yet read the book, yet she apparently makes this statement. I don’t understand why. There will be no further interviews.”
A spokesman for the publisher said: “Whitefox takes issues of accuracy, legality and ethics seriously, and we work to ensure that any project we are involved with has been subject to appropriate editorial and legal scrutiny.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
