The Kessler Twins, German Entertainment Duo, Die by Assisted Suicide at 89

The Kessler Twins, German Entertainment Duo, Die by Assisted Suicide at 89

Old Hollywood is mourning the loss of the Kesler twins. The Variety Entertainment duo composed of identical twin sisters, Alice and Ellen Kesler, died by joint assisted suicide at their home in Germany, both aged 89. The German Society for Human Dying, confirmed the news, telling NBC News in a November 17th statement they had been considering this option for some time. They had been members of the organization for over a year. The organization notes that the sisters engaged in thorough discussions with a lawyer and a doctor before making their decision and explained that those who quote choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed, meaning free and responsible. A 2020 constitutional court ruling legalized assisted dying in Germany under special circumstances where an individual has the right to end their life and seek help from a third party. After representing Germany at the 1959 Eurovvision Song Contest, Alice and Ellen made their American TV debut in 1963 before transitioning to star in films and soon after went on a worldwide tour performing with Hollywood legends Fred a stair, Frank Sinatra, and Harry Bella Fonte. Last year, in an interview with an Italian newspaper, the sisters who never married expressed their wish to die together, saying, quote, “Our desire is to go away together on the same day. The idea of one of us going first is very hard to bear.” In an interview with CNN, German Society for Human Dying spokesperson Vega Vetszel shares that she is not sure of the exact reason why Alice and Ellen opted for assisted suicide, though she presumes the quote decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date. She adds their desire to die was well considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis.

Content warning: This story discusses assisted suicide.
The Kessler Twins—the German entertainment duo comprised of sisters Alice Kessler and Ellen Kessler—died by joint assisted suicide on Nov. 17. They were 89.