Chrissie Mullen, also known as Christine Mullen or Chrissy May, is best known as the former wife of Queen guitarist and songwriter Brian May. Although she was connected to one of rock music's most famous bands during its rise to international success, Mullen has largely remained outside the public spotlight.
May has spoken about Mullen in interviews and on his official website, describing her as the woman he lived with before Queen became globally successful and the mother of his three children. Reliable information about Mullen's own career and later life is comparatively limited, so a responsible biography should focus on the parts of her story that can be documented.
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Christine Mullen |
| Also Known As | Chrissie Mullen, Chrissy May |
| Known For | Brian May’s first wife |
| Former Husband | Brian May |
| Relationship Began | 1968, according to IMDb |
| Marriage | 1970s; sources differ on the exact year |
| Divorce | 1988 |
| Children | Three |
| Children’s Names | James “Jimmy” May, Louisa May, Emily Ruth May |
| Profession | Not reliably verified |
| Date of Birth | Not publicly verified |
| Age | Not publicly verified |
| Nationality | British |
| Public Profile | Low-profile; primarily known through her connection to Brian May |
| Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
Early Life & Background
Mullen's birth name is reported as Christine Mullen. Public sources provide little reliable information about her date of birth, parents, siblings or formal education, and those details should not be presented as established facts.
Her connection with Brian May began in the late 1960s. May has recalled that he was living with Mullen while he was still pursuing his scientific education and developing his musical ambitions. His official website describes Mullen as the woman who later became his wife.
IMDb records her name as Christine Mullen and lists "Chrissie Mullen," "Chrissy Mullen" and "Chrissy May" among her known names.
Relationship With Brian May
Chrissie Mullen and Brian May were together during the period when May was moving from university life and the early British music scene toward Queen's eventual international breakthrough.
May has recalled their early domestic life in a Guardian interview, describing a period when he and his future wife lived together in a small bedsit before Queen's success brought financial stability. He also described himself at the time as being primarily focused on being a husband and father.
May's own website similarly recalls that Mullen lived with him while he was making the difficult decision to pursue music rather than continue solely along an academic path. He wrote that his father was unhappy about his career choice and about his living arrangement with Mullen.
Marriage to Brian May
There is conflicting information online about the exact year of Brian May and Chrissie Mullen's marriage. Several established biographical sources, including The Independent and Biography.com, give 1974, while IMDb and other sources list May 29, 1976.
Because the sources do not agree, it is safer to state that the couple married in the 1970s rather than present one disputed date as certain.
Their marriage lasted until 1988. During those years, Queen became one of the world's most successful rock bands, with May balancing recording, touring and family life. May later reflected that the marriage had survived Queen's touring years but that the transition to a more ordinary domestic life contributed to difficulties in the relationship.
Children
Chrissie Mullen and Brian May have three children: one son and two daughters.
Their children are:
- James "Jimmy" May
- Louisa May
- Emily Ruth May
The children's names are supported by multiple sources, including Biography.com, The Independent and IMDb.
May has spoken about how important fatherhood was to his identity during his marriage to Mullen. In his retrospective interview with The Guardian, he described himself as defining his role primarily as a husband and father during that period.
Life During Queen's Rise
Mullen's marriage to May coincided with one of the most significant periods in Queen's history. The band's breakthrough accelerated during the 1970s, while May became internationally recognized alongside Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
Although Mullen was not a member of Queen and did not build a public career around the band, photographic archives document her appearing with May and members of Queen during the group's touring and social years. Getty Images, for example, holds photographs of May with Mullen dating from the 1970s and 1980s.
May also recalled that Mullen and their family were part of his life throughout Queen's intensive touring period. He said the marriage managed to survive those years before difficulties emerged after the band's touring schedule changed.
Divorce
Mullen and May separated during the late 1980s, and their divorce was finalized in 1988. Contemporary and retrospective accounts connect the breakdown of the marriage with May's relationship with actress Anita Dobson, whom he later married.
May has spoken candidly about the emotional difficulties surrounding the end of his first marriage. In his own retrospective account, he described the period as an extremely low point in his life and said that he had fallen in love with someone else, making reconciliation with Mullen impossible.
The details of the marriage's private difficulties should not be expanded beyond what May himself and reputable sources have publicly documented.
What Does Chrissie Mullen Do?
There is no sufficiently reliable public record establishing a detailed career for Chrissie Mullen. Some online sources describe her as a former model, but that claim is not as strongly documented as her marriage to Brian May and her role as the mother of their children.
For that reason, it would be misleading to assign her a specific profession or career history without stronger evidence.
Where Is Chrissie Mullen Now?
Chrissie Mullen has maintained a notably private life since her divorce from Brian May. Reliable mainstream sources do not provide enough recent information to establish where she currently lives, what work she does or whether she is involved in any public projects.
Her absence from the public eye should not be interpreted as evidence of anything beyond privacy. Most of the available information about Mullen comes indirectly through Brian May's interviews, biographies and archival photographs.
Net Worth
There is no credible, independently verified estimate of Chrissie Mullen's personal net worth. Online figures that assign her a specific fortune generally lack reliable financial documentation.
Because accuracy is more useful than speculation, no net-worth figure is included here.
Interesting Facts About Chrissie Mullen
- Chrissie Mullen's birth name is reported as Christine Mullen.
- She and Brian May were together before Queen became an international rock success.
- May has recalled living with Mullen in a small bedsit during the early stage of his musical career.
- Mullen and May have three children: Jimmy, Louisa and Emily Ruth.
- The couple's marriage ended in divorce in 1988.
- Photographic archives document Mullen with Brian May and members of Queen during the band's peak touring years.
FAQs
Who is Chrissie Mullen?
Chrissie Mullen is the former wife of Queen guitarist Brian May. She was May's first wife and the mother of his three children.
What is Chrissie Mullen's real name?
Her birth name is reported as Christine Mullen. She has also been known publicly as Chrissie Mullen and Chrissy May.
When did Chrissie Mullen and Brian May marry?
Sources disagree about the exact year. Some reputable biographical sources state 1974, while IMDb and other sources give May 29, 1976. Because of that discrepancy, the exact wedding date should be treated cautiously.
How many children did Chrissie Mullen have with Brian May?
Chrissie Mullen and Brian May have three children: son Jimmy and daughters Louisa and Emily Ruth.
When did Chrissie Mullen and Brian May divorce?
Their marriage ended in divorce in 1988.
Is Chrissie Mullen a model?
Some secondary sources describe Mullen as a former model, but there is not enough strong, independent documentation to establish a detailed modeling career. Her connection to Brian May and their three children is much better documented.
Is Chrissie Mullen still married to Brian May?
No. Mullen and May divorced in 1988. Brian May later married actress Anita Dobson in 2000.
Conclusion
Chrissie Mullen is best known as Brian May's first wife and the mother of his three children. Her relationship with May began before Queen's worldwide success and continued through the band's transformation into one of rock's biggest acts.
Unlike her former husband, Mullen has largely avoided a public career and has kept her life private. The reliable record therefore offers a relatively narrow but clear picture: she was an important part of May's early adult life, shared his years of family life during Queen's rise, and remains connected to his history through their three children.
