Who was Paul Prenter and what happened to Freddie Mercury’s former manager?
QUEEN biopic movie Bohemian Rhapsody raised questions about Freddie Mercury's former manager Paul Prenter.
So what exactly do we know about the man behind the music, who is played by Downton Abbey actor Allen Leech in the hit 2018 movie? Let's find out.
Who was Paul Prenter?
Freddie’s former manager Paul Prenter features in the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, which is portrayed by Downton Abbey actor Allen Leech.
The biopic focuses on the four members of Queen - Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
Although Prenter was Freddie’s manager from 1977 to 1986, the two were also lovers.
Their relations started to worsen in 1982, after Queen's album Hot Space came out, as other band members were unhappy with the influence Paul had on their music at the time.
Why was Paul Prenter fired by Freddie Mercury?
Freddie fired Prenter because he sold a story to a national newspaper about Mercury’s personal life.
He went into deep detail about Mercury's lifestyle and claimed he slept with hundreds of men.
Paul claimed that two former lovers of Freddie’s had died from Aids.
According to reports, and the film Bohemian Rhapsody itself, Freddie fired him for this and ended their relationship.
What happened to Paul Prenter?
After Paul sold photos of Freddie, he went back to Belfast and ended up spending all the cash he received from the deal.
He then reportedly went back to Freddie and asked for more money.
Paul died in Belfast of Aids just a few months after Mercury died in 1991.
Who plays Paul Prenter in Bohemian Rhapsody?
Allen Leech, who was born in Killiney, Ireland.
The 37-year-old has previously starred in Downton Abbey as Tom Branson and as John Cairncross in The Imitation Game.
He's a three-time winner of the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
He married actress Jessica Blair Herman, who is best known for her role in American Crime Story.
The couple have one child together.