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.
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Content warning: This story discusses assisted suicide.
The Kessler Twins have left this world together.
Alice Kessler and Ellen Kessler—German twin sisters who performed as a variety entertainment duo—died by joint assisted suicide at their home in Gruenwald, Germany, on Nov. 17, according to the German Society for Humane Dying (DGHS).
“They had been considering this option for some time,” the association, which advocates for the right to a self-determined death, said in a statement to NBC News. “They had been members of the organization for over a year.”
Explaining that those “who choose this option in Germany must be absolutely clear-headed, meaning free and responsible,” the organization noted that the sisters engaged in thorough discussions with a lawyer and a doctor before setting on this path.
“The decision must be thoughtful and consistent,” the DGHS added, “meaning made over a long period of time and not impulsive.”
Assisted dying is legal in Germany, with the country’s constitutional court ruling in 2020 that an individual has the right to end their life and seek help from a third party under certain circumstances.
Alice and Ellen rose to fame in 1959, when they represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest. They went on to find success performing in Italy, before making their American TV debut 1963.
Last year, the pair—who have never married—expressed their joint wish to die together.
“Our desire is to go away together, on the same day,” they shared in a 2024 interview with German newspaper Corriere della Sera. “The idea of one of us going first is very hard to bear.”
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DGHS spokesperson Wega Wetzel told CNN that she is not aware of the precise reasons why Alice and Ellen opted for assisted suicide, though she said the “decisive factor is likely to have been the desire to die together on a specific date.”
The rep added, “Their desire to die was well-considered, long-standing, and free from any psychiatric crisis.”
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
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