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In ARD Series, Boateng Breaks Silence on Kasia Lenhardt and Calls 2021 Interview a Mistake

The three-part release this week presents his first extended account within a reassessment of his career, a 2024 court ruling, plus fan protests over a Bayern coaching stint.

Overview

  • ARD’s three-part documentary “Being Jérôme Boateng” becomes available Friday, Nov. 21, in the Mediathek, with episode one airing that night at 23:55 on Das Erste.
  • Boateng says he “lost a person I loved,” describes ongoing grief, and adds that he initially sought therapy to help return to daily life.
  • He characterizes his 2021 BILD interview as a lasting mistake and asserts in the film that Kasia Lenhardt requested an NDA, claiming he did not keep a copy.
  • Contributors in the film say media largely echoed Boateng’s narrative in 2021, coinciding with a wave of online hate directed at Lenhardt before her death by suicide.
  • His post-playing plans face headwinds after Bayern fans opposed a planned coaching hospitation, with coverage noting a 2024 Munich court finding of intentional bodily harm that resulted in a warning; Boateng denies ever hitting a woman.