WARNING: There are huge SPOILERS ahead for Bohemian Rhapsody.
So, if you’re yet to see the Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic, you should bookmark this article, watch the film, and then return to read what happened to Paul Prenter after the film.
After watching “Bohemian Rhapsody” it’s no surprise why Queen and Freddie Mercury fans are instantly disgusted whenever Paul Prenter’s name is mentioned.
The biopic showcases all of Prenter’s villainy.
From him tricking Mercury into firing band manager John Reid (Aidan Gillen), trying to interfere with Queen’s musical direction, taking Mercury to Germany and keeping him away from the rest of the band and Mercury’s best friend Mary (Lucy Boynton), before then selling the singer’s story and various incriminating pictures to The Sun.
At that point, Mercury and Prenter’s friendship and working relationship finanlly came to an end. But what happened to Prenter after the events of “Bohemian Rhapsody”?
I recently had the chance to speak to Allan Leech about “Bohemian Rhapsody,” during which time I asked the actor that very question, and it turns out there was another act to Prenter’s villainy.
“What happened after he sold the story to The Sun, Freddie obviously went crazy and was very, very upset. Freddie got him on the phone, and Paul said it was a mistake and that he was misquoted.”
“But Paul had sold all these photos, too, so he had really been caught. He went back to Belfast and spent all that cash.”
“Then went back to Freddie and asked for more once it was gone. Obviously, Freddie completely ignored him. But then Paul died in Belfast of AIDS just a few months after Mercury died.”
Prenter has been ostracized by Queen and Freddie Mercury fans to such an extent that, during his preparation, Leech was unable to find anyone that would open up about him.
“The weird thing about Paul is that once he passed away, a lot of people kind of went underground. I couldn’t find anyone that wanted to talk about him.”
“Because he is rather vilified in the Queen community and amongst fans. I did speak to Peter Freestone, who worked with him when they were both working for Queen, so he was invaluable to find out what he was like.”
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is in cinemas now.
