Mary Austin says she suspected Freddie Mercury’s sexuality before he told her. A dress, a private conversation and a decision to change roles reshaped their relationship.
After the conversation they redefined their relationship: Austin became Mercury’s close friend and personal assistant rather than his girlfriend.
Austin remembers being relieved after the talk because it clarified whether they were moving in the same direction.
She values Mercury’s creativity and says their new arrangement reduced her stress and improved their friendship.
Mary Austin says she realized Freddie Mercury was likely gay before he announced it to her. The concrete incident she remembers is simple: she saw a dress, asked Freddie whether she should buy it as a wedding dress, and he shook his head. That reaction convinced her something important was different.
They had been living together for four years when Freddie told her he had something to say. He started by saying, "I think I'm bisexual." Austin answered directly: "No, Freddie, I think you're gay." He didn't argue. Austin describes that exchange as a huge relief because she'd been unsure whether they were "travelling in the same direction" anymore.
Austin explains why she was drawn to Mercury in the first place: he was more creative and interesting than others she'd known. She cites how he would see the film Cabaret repeatedly and enjoy explaining what he liked about it. Being with him felt like following a journey through his mind.
Although Austin became technically an employee when she took the assistant role, she says Mercury never treated her like one. She adds that if he had, she would have accepted it as part of him having a bad mood or being annoyed. She also recounts a pointed moment she remembers as the worst thing he ever said to her — he once called her inefficient — and she agreed with him.
Austin has spoken about these memories in a new interview with the Guardian while promoting material tied to Mercury's legacy. Related coverage notes she has curated Freddie's personal archives and that their shared history stretches back to the early 1970s, when they met and Mercury was still building what would become Queen.
Austin's recollection adds a small, personal detail to the widely known outline of Freddie Mercury's life: the coming-out moment between two people who remained intensely important to each other. The exchange she describes explains why they consciously restructured their partnership and stayed close for decades after.
'It was a huge relief, because I wasn’t sure whether we were travelling in the same direction any more,' says Mary Austin.
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. Austi
Freddie Mercury's best friend, Mary Austin, who almost married the Queen icon, has spoken out about the troubled star, including the moment he told her he had HIV
She wasn’t flattered by the Queen icon’s comment as he lay dying in 1991. Continue reading…
Top News Abridge rolls out its context-aware clinical decision support ...
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.