World-famous twin sisters who performed with Frank Sinatra die by assisted suicide on same day
The twins died on Monday at their home in Germany
Twin sisters who performed with stars including Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire died by assisted suicide on the same day after deciding "they no longer wanted to live."
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Alice and Ellen Kessler, a German entertainment duo, reportedly died together at their home in Grünwald, near Munich, on Monday.
The pair, known as the Kessler twins, became famous in the US and Europe in the 1950s and performed with entertainment giants including Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis Jr.
According to publication Bild, the sisters "no longer wanted to live' and "had chosen to end their lives together".
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Assisted dying is not fully legal in Germany but a Constitutional Court ruling in 2020 declared the right to a self-determined death, making assisted suicide legally permissible but unregulated.
The twins reportedly told the publication in 2024 that they wanted their ashes to be placed together in an urn after their death, along with the remains of their mother, Elsa, and their dog, Yello.
Authorities reportedly confirmed on Monday that Ellen and Alice had died together at their home, which had adjoining residences separated by a dividing wall, and said there was no indication of foul play involved.
A tribute posted to social media said that the Kessler twins "left together, just as they lived: inseparable".
It added: "Born in 1936, they were an absolute symbol of European spectacle, including music, dance and television. In Italy, they became celebrities as the legs of the nation, icon[s] of elegance and stage presence since the Fifties."
It added that the twins were a "unique artistic couple, capable of leaving an indelible imprint on the collective imagination."
The pair shot to fame In 1952 aged 16, after fleeing communist East Germany for West Germany, from where they were able to perform across Europe.
Their performances also brought them to the attention of American musicians and performances including Elvis, who reportedly saw them perform at Le Lido in Paris when he was stationed in West Germany after being drafted into the Army in 1958.
They later relocated to Italy in 1962, and the early '60s marked the beginning of their popularity in the US thanks to appearances on high-profile variety shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Red Skelton Hour.
Alice and Ellen moved back to West Germany in 1986, settling in Grünwald.