The documentary claims Blackstar was not initially intended to be about death or as a parting gift to fans.

David Bowie didn’t know his illness was terminal until the last three months before he died, according to a new BBC Two documentary.

David Bowie: The Last Five Years reveals that the late icon discovered his treatment was to be stopped while filming the music video for his single, ‘Lazarus’, taken from his final album Blackstar, as the Guardian reports.

In the film, ‘Lazarus’ video director Johan Renck claims that Bowie told him he only intended “to make it a simple performance video,” to which Renck said: “‘The song is called ‘Lazarus’, you should be in the bed’. To me it had to do with the biblical aspect of it… it had nothing to do with him being ill.”

“I found out later that, the week we were shooting, it was when he was told it was over, they were ending treatments and that his illness had won,” continues Renck.

David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, just two days after the release of Blackstar. Bowie’s 25th and final album, which was recorded in 2015, is widely thought of as a parting gift to fans, but these new claims seem to contradict this.

Tune into BBC Two tomorrow night (January 7) at 9pm to watch The Last Five Years or head to BBC iPlayer shortly after the broadcast to stream online.

Latest

Latest



		
	
Share Tweet