The Kessler twins, German entertainment duo who performed with Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, die together by assisted suicide

Alice and Ellen Kessler, twin dancers and singers who began their careers in the 1950s and performed with Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Harry Belafonte, among others, have died, police in Germany said Tuesday. There were 89.

The death of the twins in Grünwald, an affluent suburb of Munich where they shared a house, was reported on Monday by the German newspaper Bild and the dpa news agency, without identifying sources. Munich police confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, saying in an emailed statement that it was a “joint suicide.” In a statement, the German Society for a Human Death confirmed to Bavarian Radio that it was an assisted suicide.

The Kessler twins learned to dance at a young age and joined the children’s ballet at the Leipzig Opera. In 1952, when they were 16, their family fled to West Germany, where they danced in a revue theater in Düsseldorf. In 1955, the sisters were discovered by the director of the Lido cabaret theater in Paris, where their international career took off.

In the 1960s, the Kessler twins toured the world, moved to Rome and performed with Astaire, Sinatra and Belafonte. They turned down an offer to appear with Elvis Presley in “Viva Las Vegas” in 1964 for fear of being defined by movie musicals in the United States, dpa reported.

Even at 80 years old, the sisters appeared on the stage of a musical. Alice said shortly before her 80th birthday that they probably wouldn’t have been able to perform alone for so long.

Being a couple “only has advantages,” he said. “Together you are stronger.”

When asked about the secret of his success, he commented: “Discipline, every day. Gratitude, over and over again. Humility, not arrogance. And togetherness. Until death.”

The twins told German tabloid Bild in April 2024 that they wanted to be buried in the same urn, along with the ashes of their mother and dog. “That’s what we stipulated in our wills,” Ellen Kessler told Bild.

assisted suicide It is legal in nine countries in Europe, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Cuba and Ecuador, according to the nonprofit Dignity in Dying.

In the USA, die with medical assistance It’s legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C., but at least eight other states are considering similar laws this year, according to Death with Dignity.

Currently, some New York lawmakers and advocates are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the “Medical Aid in Dying” Billalso known as MAID. The bill would make it legal to give terminally ill adult patients who have six months or less to live the option of having a doctor prescribe a mixture of a lethal medication.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or in a suicidal crisis, you can contact the 988 Suicide and lifesaving crisis by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.