Freddie Mercury never addressed his sexuality in public, and it was not because he only wanted to protect himself and his image.
Thirty years since Mercury's death, the singer's long-time PA and friend Peter Freestone disclosed all the hardships the Queen's late singer went through, especially with his sexuality.
Although Mercury became one of the greatest singers the world ever met, he ensured his life would be private as much as possible. Unfortunately, he dealt with issues on his sexuality, personal crisis, and betrayal before his death.
In an article shared by Express, Freestone recalled how Mercury refused to talk about his private life when he was alive. Still, he reportedly never hid either.
"When he left Garden Lodge, he accepted he was public property. The nearest to a disguise was dark glasses when he went shopping. When he went to bars, he was just himself. He was not ashamed of anything he did or anywhere he went. That was just Freddie," he went on.
Although the "Bohemian Rhapsody" hitmaker had been attracted to men since the 1970s, he reportedly faced problems despite gay rights noticeably improved. In addition, the wrong information about AIDS affected people in the gay community.
Why Freddie Mercury Never Spoke About His Sexuality
With all those issues that arose, Mercury stayed quiet - but it was not to protect himself.
Freestone said during the same video that the singer loved Queen so much he chose to stay quiet until his death.
"The reason he never spoke about himself was because immediately he made any statement to the press, it would reflect on the band. Freddie never wanted anything to take away from the image of Queen," he said.
When he was not on stage, Mercury never hid his sexuality nor ever lied about it. In fact, he indirectly confirmed it in his interviews. One time, an interviewee asked if he was gay, to which he replied, "As a daffodil, dear."
Mercury tragically passed away on November 24, 1991 nearly 24 hours after telling the world he had HIV/AIDS. He said in his last statement that he first wanted to keep the information private to protect other people's privacy.
However, he finally chose to break his silence and let the world know the truth.
Freddie Mercury died due to bronchial pneumonia due to AIDS.
READ MORE: Mark Hoppus Drops Greatest Hope For Blink-182 After Beating Cancer