Alice and Ellen Kessler, the German twin entertainers who gained international fame in the 1960s, have reportedly died at 89.
The multi-hyphenates known for their singing, dancing and acting died by assisted suicide on the same day, Monday, Nov. 17, according to the German Society for Humane Dying, which confirmed the women applied for the procedure.
"All this in compliance with the safety and care criteria applicable at the DGHS," the organization told USA TODAY, in German. A doctor present confirmed to the organization that the twins died Monday, "with the help of assisted suicide" as requested.
Born in Nazi Germany, their family fled East Germany for West Germany in 1952. Taking ballet from a young age, their talents eventually led them to Paris – performing at Paris' historic Le Lido after being recruited by its director – and Italy, where they starred in the Italian variety show "Studio Uno."
The pair would go on to earn international renown in post-war Europe as singing and dancing starlets, performing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte and Fred Astaire at the height of their fame in the 1950s and 1960s. According to the German news outlet SWR, Elvis Presley once attempted to swoon the girls after a performance in Paris, to no avail.
