Freddie Mercury’s ex-girlfriend recalls helping him come out: ‘Freddie, I think you’re gay’
Mary Austin and Freddie Mercury (Getty Images)
Mary Austin, Freddie Mercury’s former girlfriend, has opened up about her relationship with the late singer.
Following the release of her new book A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddie Mercury, Austin spoke with the Guardian and recalled the moment Freddie opened up to her about his sexuality.
Austin said Freddie told her: “I think I’m bisexual,” to which she responded: “No Freddie, I think you’re gay.”
But she went on to say that this interaction was a “relief” for her as she “wasn’t sure whether we were travelling in the same direction any more”.
She also said she had suspected Freddie was gay for a while, recalling a specific moment that solidified it for her: “Some time earlier I saw a dress and thought, that would be a really nice wedding dress. I asked Freddie, is it worth me buying it, and he looked at me and shook his head. So I knew from there on…”
After this, the two continued to live together for 18 months, during which Freddie was open about his relationships with men.
Mary then went on to become Freddie’s PA, which she said she didn’t resent as she “knew that if I didn’t work for him I’d have to work somewhere for someone”.
In terms of their working relationship, she revealed: “We’d be honest with each other. He once told me I was inefficient, and I totally agreed.”
Freddie died on 24 November 1991, from bronchial pneumonia caused by AIDS. Mary recalled being by his side when he died: “I was holding his hand. He was on morphine and in and out of consciousness, and he falls back to sleep. And I stand there for quite a while and he finally comes round again and he just said, ‘My old faithful.’ So I felt a bit like a dog. I wasn’t flattered.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
