Kessler twins die together at 89 by assisted suicide after lifelong bond

Alice and Ellen Kessler, the identical twin entertainers who rose to international fame in the 1950s and ’60s, have died together by joint assisted suicide at age 89.

The German-born sisters passed away on Monday at their home in Grünwald, near Munich. According to the German newspaper Bild, the pair “no longer wanted to live” and “had chosen to end their lives together.”

CNN reported that the twins were assisted by the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS), an organisation that helps members connect with doctors and lawyers to legally navigate the process. The DGHS told the outlet that Alice and Ellen had reached out more than a year ago and became members soon after.

“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel told CNN. However, Ms Wetzel added she was unaware of each woman’s personal reasoning.

“Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing and free from any psychiatric crisis,” she said.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera last year, the sisters shared their wish “to leave together, on the same day … The idea that one of the two will go first is very difficult to bear.”

Assisted dying became legal in Germany in 2020 after the country’s top court ruled individuals have the right to end their own lives, and to seek help from others, if the decision is made freely and without outside pressure.

“They had been considering this option for some time. They had been members of the organisation for over a year. A lawyer and a doctor conducted preliminary discussions with them,” DGHS said in a statement quoted by NBC News.

“People who choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed, meaning free and responsible. The decision must be thoughtful and consistent, meaning made over a long period of time and not impulsive.”

Local police confirmed to CNN there had been “a deployment yesterday lunchtime in Gruenwald” at the sisters’ home, ruling out any signs of foul play.

In April 2024, Bild reported that Alice and Ellen wished for their ashes to be buried together in the same urn. They are expected to be laid to rest alongside their mother, Elsa, and dog, Yello.

Born in Nazi Germany in 1936, the Kessler twins fled East Germany in 1952 and went on to dance at Paris’s famed Lido cabaret. Their success on stage and television made them household names across Europe.

They represented Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest and were the first female stars to show their legs on screen — a groundbreaking moment for the era.

Over the decades, they performed on Studio Uno in Italy, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Dean Martin Show, sharing stages with Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Elvis Presley, and Harry Belafonte.

The Ed Sullivan Show paid tribute on Instagram: “Honouring the extraordinary lives of the Kessler Twins. Alice & Ellen were dazzling stars, true legends, and sisters whose grace, charm, and magic will shine forever.”

Radio Monte Carlo also remembered them fondly, writing: “Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable. Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, including music, dance and television. In Italy, they became celebrities as the ‘legs of the nation,’ icons of elegance and stage presence since the Fifties.”

“A unique artistic couple, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination.”

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