The Kessler twins, celebrated for their postwar performances throughout the 1950s and ’60s, have died by a joint assisted suicide.
Alice and Ellen Kessler, both 89, passed away on Monday at their home in Grünwald, near Munich, Germany.
According to the German newspaper Bild, the sisters “no longer wanted to live” and had “chosen to end their lives together.”
Alice and Ellen Kessler in 1976
According to CNN, Alice and Ellen were assisted by the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS), an advocacy organization that provides members with access to lawyers, doctors, and other end‑of‑life resources.
The DGHS told CNN that the twins had reached out more than a year ago and subsequently became members.
“The decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date,” DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel said. However, Wetzel noted that she did not know the individual reasons each sister chose this path.
“Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis,” she added.
In an interview last year with Italy’s Corriere della Sera, the identical sisters said their wish was “to leave together, on the same day … The idea that one of the two will go first is very difficult to bear.”
Alice and Ellen Kessler at the ARTistART premiere at Werksviertel München on October 24, 2025.
Assisted dying became legal in Germany following a 2020 ruling that affirmed an individual’s right to end their life and to seek help from a third party, provided the decision is made freely and without external pressure.
“They had been considering this option for some time and had been members of the organization for over a year. A lawyer and a doctor conducted preliminary discussions with them,” the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS) said in a statement, via 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—made over a long period of time, not impulsively.”
On Tuesday, local police confirmed to CNN that “there was a deployment yesterday lunchtime in Grünwald” to the twins’ residence and ruled out any possibility of foul play.
In April 2024, Alice and Ellen reportedly told Bild that they wanted their ashes to be buried together in the same urn. They are expected to be laid to rest alongside their mother, Elsa, and their dog, Yello.
Alice and Ellen Kessler in Berlin, Germany, on January 17, 1997.
Born in Nazi Germany, the sisters’ family fled East Germany for the West in 1952. They trained in ballet from a young age before achieving international fame, performing at Paris’s renowned cabaret venue, the Lido.
The twins appeared on the Italian variety show Studio Uno, represented Germany at the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, and made history as the first female stars to show their legs on-screen.
Throughout their careers, they featured on popular variety shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Dean Martin Show, and shared the stage with entertainment legends such as Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Elvis Presley, and Harry Belafonte.
American singer and actor Frank Sinatra arrives at London Airport on April 14, 1956.
On its official Instagram account, The Ed Sullivan Show paid tribute to the Kessler twins: “Honoring 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 shared a heartfelt statement following their deaths:
“Alice and Ellen Kessler left together, just as they lived: inseparable,” the Instagram post read. “Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, encompassing 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 duo, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, resources are available. In New York City, you can call 888-NYC-WELL for free, confidential crisis counseling. Outside the city, dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
