Brian May shuts down claim Freddie Mercury had secret daughter

Queen guitarist Brian May is reportedly not convinced that his late bandmate Freddie Mercury had a secret love child. In a bombshell revelation announced in May, biographer Lesley-Ann Jones revealed that the singer fathered a daughter after he embarked on an affair with the wife of a close friend in 1976. Freddie is believed to have regularly visited his daughter, now 48, while it was also claimed that only his innermost circle, including his Queen bandmates, were aware of her existence.

However, doubt has now been cast over the huge claim as Brian, 77, admitted he didn't believe it during a conversation with his wife, Anita Dobson. The former EastEnders actress, 76, recalled the moment she heard the news, saying: "I went, 'What?' I thought, 'No'. And I said to Brian: 'Do you know about this?' And he said: 'Do you believe this?'"

The actress continued: "There must be lots of people who have children that we don't know about. It's just because it's him. Because he's iconic. And the type of animal that he was, it seems inconceivable that he would have a child with someone we don't know about."

Anita added to the Mirror: "If he does have one where is she - step forward. If she exists. Maybe it is just more fake news."

Freddie's alleged daughter resides in Europe, working in the medical field. She's also a mother herself, making Freddie a grandfather posthumously.

In the book, out in September and titled, Love, Freddie, she recounted being raised by a loving family, but always knowing that the legendary musician was her father. Before succumbing to pneumonia caused by Aids in 1991, Freddie bequeathed his daughter 17 volumes of his personal diaries.

She 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. 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.

"Those who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie." The star even had his own room in their family home, so he could spend as much time with her as possible, and called every day, even while he was touring with Queen.

Jones has since hit back at those questioning whether the woman is telling the truth, declaring as she said: "To those 'demanding' to see proof of a DNA test, otherwise they won't believe it - please rest assured that the requisite verification was obtained, legal teams have been involved, but that such measures are private and not shared publicly."