Speaking with Rolling Stone to mark the 50th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody, Sir Brian said of not seeing or hearing from Deacon anymore: “I think both Roger and I find it quite hard, but he doesn’t want to and we have to respect that. He wants to be separate. He’s still part of the destiny of the band, though. If we’re trying to make business decisions, he’s always consulted, but it happens through the management or through our accountant. We don’t speak, which is a shame, but we do know that we have his blessing. That’s important.”
Both the Queen guitarist and drummer have previously spoken with Daily Express about Deacon, with Roger saying: “He’s still obviously our sort of business partner in a way; our silent business partner. He enjoys the financial rewards, but he really doesn’t want anything to do with the music industry anymore.” Asked why, he said: “I don’t think he feels he wants to handle it and all the stuff that goes with it. So, no, we don’t keep in touch actually. John has sort of consciously excluded himself from the world. He doesn’t like engaging in contact with anybody, I think. I think he’s very fragile and we respect that.”
Asked when he last saw Deacon, Roger revealed: “I last saw John, I think… We Will Rock You had opened six months before. I saw him there one night, in the bar, he strolled in. And that’s the last time I saw him. Probably 2004.”
Sir Brian told Daily Express that that was around the last time he saw Deacon in person, too. When asked if he thought the Queen bassist would have watched the band’s biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Roger replied: “I wonder, I mean I wouldn’t put it past him not to have seen it. I just don’t know. We’re all different, aren’t we?”