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Jérôme Boateng Breaks Silence in ARD’s ‘Being Jérôme Boateng’ Ahead of Friday Premiere

The three-part portrait presents his account of Kasia Lenhardt’s death, with a rare admission that granting a BILD interview was a mistake.

Overview

  • ARD schedules the documentary for Friday, November 21, with all episodes streaming that day and the first part airing at 23:55 on the broadcaster’s main channel.
  • Boateng says he is still processing Lenhardt’s 2021 suicide and states, “I have lost a person I loved very much,” describing the interview he gave after their breakup as an error that will follow him for life.
  • Contributors in the film recount how the 2021 interview shaped early coverage and preceded a wave of online abuse against Lenhardt; former BILD editor-in-chief Johannes Boie later said the paper would not publish that interview today.
  • The documentary situates his statements alongside his legal history, including a 2019 investigation for intentional bodily harm and a 2024 Munich court finding with a warning, which he counters by denying ever striking a woman.
  • After ending his playing career, Boateng’s move toward coaching has faced resistance, highlighted by FC Bayern canceling a planned hospitation following fan protests.