Twin sisters who performed with Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, pass away on the same day
Trigger Warning: This article includes mention of suicide.
Twin entertainers Alice and Ellen Kessler, who rose to fame in the 50s and 60s, have passed away on the same day at 89.
German newspaper Bild reported that the two chose to end their lives together through assisted suicide, which is legal in Germany under certain conditions.
In April 2024, the Kessler twins told Bild that they wanted to be buried in the same urn with the ashes of their mother Elsa and their dog Yello.
"That's what we stipulated in our wills," Ellen told the outlet at the time.
Police went to the twins' property in Grünwald in Bavaria, Germany, and confirmed their deaths during an initial examination. Authorities also ruled out foul play.
Born on August 20, 1936, the Kessler Twins began performing at the young age of 11, joining the Leipzig Opera's ballet program, according to German newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung.
They moved to Düsseldorf in 1952 and worked as revue dancers for the Palladium. As per German broadcasting company SWR, the owner of the Parisian cabaret Lido watched the twins perform and was so captivated that he hired them for his theater. The twins earned a slew of celebrity fans, including Elvis Presley, who visited Paris while he was in military service in Germany to watch their shows.
In 1959, the Kessler twins represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in Cannes and earned 8th place with their hit Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n (Tonight We Want to Go Dancing).
Their careers took off overseas as they performed alongside Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Fred Astaire. They also enjoyed a TV stint, appearing in Italian shows Giardino d'inverno and Studio Uno.
In 1987, the twins were awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and in 2006, received honorary citizenship in their birthplace, Nerchau. More recently, they received the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2025.
Germany's top court overturned a five-year-old law banning professionally assisted suicide in February 2020. Assisted dying is only permitted if the person is of legal age, has legal capacity, and can act responsibly and of their own free will.
If you or anyone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, you may call the National Mental Health Crisis hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide, landline toll-free), 0966-351-4518 or 0917-899-USAP (8727) for Globe/TM users, or 0908-639-2672 for Smart users.
If you or anyone you know needs help, you may call the Manila Police District hotline at 8523 3378, 0919-995-0976, 0917-899-2092.
