Why did ex-girlfriend Mary Austin receive a fortune?

Why did ex-girlfriend Mary Austin receive a fortune?

Mary Austin, former girlfriend of Freddie Mercury in the 1970s, will receive about R$ 250 million in royalties for the film “Bohemian Rhapsody”, released in 2018. The information was released yesterday by the website El País.

She will receive the amount added to 19% of all earnings from the band Queen paid annually, according to the report.

Mercury died 30 years ago from bronchopneumonia caused by AIDS. At the time, the Queen frontman was living with boyfriend Jim Hutton, with whom he had been with for seven years. However, the artist left much of his legacy to Mary Austin

Freddie ceded the Georgian-style mansion in which he spent his last years at Garden Lodge (currently valued at around R$ 150 million) and half of his fortune to his ex-girlfriend, in addition to future copyright dividends.

The artist also shared the will with partner Jim Hutton; his personal assistant, Peter Freestone; and their cook, Joe Fanelli. The remainder of the estate was divided equally between the sister and the parents.

The musician’s decision displeased many people, including the other members of Queen, who did not like the spotlight on Mary after their colleague’s death.

Mercury’s ‘love of life’

The two met in 1970, when Mary Austin was just 19 years old.

The young woman was a salesperson at the Biba boutique, one of the coolest places in London at the time.

Freddie and guitarist Brian May always went there to observe the girls, and the singer ended up falling in love with her.

The courtship lasted six years. and inspired one of Queen’s most important songs: “Love of My Life”.

The singer’s tribute to his beloved was released in 1975, and spoke of Mary’s importance to Freddie.

Freddie even proposed to Mary with a jade ring in 1973, the same year Queen released their first album.

The engagement ended after the singer revealed to his beloved that he was bisexual, but they remained close – the artist even baptized the ex’s firstborn. She was at Freddie’s side when he died at the age of 45.

“All my lovers asked me why they couldn’t take Mary’s place, but it’s just impossible. The only friend I have is Mary, and I don’t want anyone else. marriage. We believe in each other, that’s enough for me”, said Freddie Mercury in 1985

What does Mary Austin say about inheritance?

With the repercussion generated after receiving part of Freddie’s inheritance, Mary said she felt the envy of others.

“I found myself thinking, ‘Freddie, you made me so [dinheiro] and so many things to take care of. He had warned me that the house would be too much of a challenge to handle. And I felt envy right away. It was very painful, “he stated to the” Daily Mail “

“Freddie was very generous to them [os membros do Queen] in the last years of his life and I don’t think they embraced this generosity. I don’t think they appreciated or recognized what Freddie left them. He left the band 25% of the last albums, which he didn’t need. And I never heard anything from them,” he added.

When the Queen frontman died, “The Sun” newspaper quoted a statement given by him a few years earlier.

The only friend I have is Mary. She will inherit most of my fortune. No one else will get a penny except my cats, Oscar and Tiffany.
Freddie Mercury

At Freddie’s request, Mary was responsible for scattering Freddie’s ashes and never revealed the location where she performed the ritual. “Fans can be deeply obsessive. He wanted to keep it a secret and he will stay that way.”