Overview
- The 74-year-old appeared in Hamburg with Annika Kärsten-Hoenig, marking a fresh public outing after his 2024 health crisis.
- In an interview, he called her "my rescuer" and said she is "everything to me," while she praised their two sons for keeping them going.
- He spent 143 days in hospital, including time in a coma, before she brought him home and continued care.
- Reports describe surgeries tied to acute heart issues; some outlets also cite bacterial damage that led to removal of his esophagus.
- The couple married in 2019, renewed their vows on Sylt in 2025, and share two sons born in 2020 and 2022.