A woman who claimed to be the secret daughter of Freddie Mercury has died at the age of 48 after a long battle with chordoma, a rare form of spinal cancer. Identified only as B, her story was made public last summer in Love, Freddie, a book by author Lesley Ann Jones. Her husband, named only as Thomas, confirmed she died peacefully, leaving behind two young sons, and said her ashes were scattered over the Alps.
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Jones said B had lived with cancer since childhood and decided to share her story knowing her illness had returned and was terminal. According to the author, B had been in remission for several years before the cancer reappeared, prompting her to make contact and begin work on the book, a process that lasted four years. Jones described the project as a race against time and said B prioritised telling her story despite being seriously ill throughout.
The book claims B was conceived after a brief relationship between Mercury and the wife of a close friend, and that her existence was known only to a small circle of family and friends. It alleges Mercury referred to her as “Bibi” and kept detailed diaries, which were later passed on to her. B chose not to reveal her identity publicly, reportedly because she worked as a doctor and wished to protect her patients’ privacy. Her family, who live in France, are said to be considering releasing photographs in the future.
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The claims have been disputed by Mary Austin, Mercury’s long-time companion, who said it would be astonishing if the singer had fathered a child without her knowledge and stated she had never seen him keep diaries. B responded through Jones, expressing distress at the dismissal of her account and saying Mercury’s life had been repeatedly misrepresented since his death in 1991. In the book, B wrote about privately mourning her father while the world grieved a global star, explaining why she felt unable to speak publicly for many years.
