Ian Dickson/Redferns Freddie Mercury has a secret daughter, whom he welcomed with the wife of a friend in 1976, according to a report fromThe Daily Mail, which cites a soon-to-be-released biography The book,Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury's Secret Life and Loveby Lesley-Ann Jones, is based largely on Mercury's secret diaries, which he reportedly gifted to his daughter prior to his death in 1991 "Freddie Mercury was and is my father. We had a very close and loving relationship from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life," his daughter, now 28, reportedly writes in the biography Freddie Mercuryhas a secret child, an upcoming biography about the rock legend reportedly claims. In the pages ofLove, Freddie: Freddie Mercury's Secret Life and Love, author Lesley-Ann Jones claims the iconicQueenfrontman was a dad to a daughter, according to a report fromThe Daily Mail. The soon-to-be-released biography states that Mercury welcomed his daughter — identified only as "B" — with the wife of a close friend in 1976 after a fling, the outlet reported. Love, Freddiealso provides the woman's personal account of the "very close and loving" father-daughter relationship she had with Mercury before his death at age 45 in 1991, perThe Daily Mail. Jones claims inLove, Freddie, perThe Daily Mail,that the existence of Mercury's daughter was only known by those in the singer's inner circle: his parents, sister, Queen bandmates andMary Austin— his ex-fiancée and close friend. The unnamed daughter states in the book that she always knew the performer was her real father. She also writes that Mercury visited her and her mother often throughout her childhood,The Daily Mailreported. "It was decided between the three adults that the child would live with her mother and her husband – the child's stepfather," Jones writes in the book, per the outlet, adding that Mercury even had "his own rooms at each of their homes." The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Dave Hogan/Getty According to the author, perThe Daily Mail, Mercury, the girl's mom and her stepfather decided to "raise the child together," which meant the rock icon "visited and stayed with them frequently." Jones also claims that the star spoke with his daughter "every day" while he was touring or working on Queen records. Mercury's daughter, Jones says, "knew from toddlerhood which of the two men was her real father," perThe Daily Mail. "Outside the unusual family, privacy and discretion were maintained to a degree that not even some members of Freddie's personal household had any idea that he had a child," the author added, according to the outlet. Love, Freddieis based largely on Mercury's secret diaries, which the rocker reportedly gifted to his daughter prior tohis death, according toThe Daily Mail. "He entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced," the woman — who is now a 28-year-old medical professional and parent herself — writes of Mercury in the book, per the outlet. She decided to share the diaries with Jones in 2021,The Daily Mailreported. Though extremely skeptical at first, the author was later swayed by the woman's proof (photos, cards and bank statements) and behavior. "My instinct was to doubt everything, but I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist," the author writes of Mercury's alleged daughter, perThe Daily Mail. "No one could have faked all this. Why would she have worked with me for three-and-a-half years, never demanding anything?" The woman, who now leads a private life in Europe, "has never asked for money" and "does not want recognition," Jones says, according to the outlet. The author adds that the woman is "extremely wealthy" in part because of money she inherited from Mercury through a "private, legal arrangement." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According toThe Daily Mail,Love, Freddiealso contains a letter from Mercury's alleged daughter, in which she reveals why she decided to share the Queen frontman's secret diaries years after his death. "After more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion, it is time to let Freddie speak. Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie. That I choose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone," she reportedly writes, adding that she has not "at any point, been coerced into doing this." Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty The now-grown woman also shares firsthand accounts of time spent with Mercury, according toThe Daily Mail. In the first chapter, she reportedly writes: "Freddie Mercury was and is my father. 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," she continues, perThe Daily Mail. "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. He cherished me like a treasured possession." Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury's Secret Life and Lovewill be released on Sept. 5. It is available for preorder now. Read the original article onPeople
