The woman who claimed to be the daughter of Queen musician Freddie Mercury has died aged 48. Bibi, who was initially known as 'B', died following a "long battle with chordoma, a rare spinal cancer," her husband told Daily Mail in a statement.
Bibi's existence was revealed by author Lesley Ann Jones in the bombshell book Love, Freddie, which was published last summer.
© WireImageAccording to Lesley, Freddie referred to the woman as 'Bibi, as well as his 'trésor', the French for treasure, and his 'little froggie'. The author also stated that the singer wrote songs about Bibi, including 'Bijou' (jewel) and 'Don't Try So Hard', and that the pair shared a close relationship until Freddie's death in 1991.
The statement from Bibi's family
In a statement, Bibi's widower said she had passed away "peacefully after a long battle with chordoma, a rare spinal cancer, leaving two sons aged nine and seven".
He added: "B is now with her beloved and loving father in the world of thoughts. Her ashes were scattered to the wind over the Alps."
© Pete StillMeanwhile, author Lesley said: "I am devastated by the loss of this woman who became my close friend, who had come to me with a selfless aim: to brush aside all those who have had free rein with Freddie's story for 32 years, to challenge their lies and their rewriting of his life, and to deliver the truth.
"At the end of her life, it was all that mattered to her. She was very ill throughout the 4 years that we worked together. But she was on a mission. She put herself and her own needs last."
Scepticism surrounding Bibi's relationship with Freddie
After Jones announced her book, Freddie's close friend Mary Austin said that she had no knowledge of 'B' and did not see him write a diary, in which 'B' claimed he wrote about their "very close and loving" relationship.
© Getty Images"Freddie had a glorious openness, and I cannot imagine he would have wanted to, or been able to, keep such a joyful event a secret, either from me or other people closest to him," Mary told The Sunday Times last year. "The truth is that I am simply not the guardian of such a secret. I’ve never known of any child, or of any diaries. If Freddie had indeed had a child without me knowing anything about it, that would be astonishing to me."
