Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Michelle Shares Harrowing Childhood in Bild Interview

In a conversation with Bild, the Schlager icon recounts parental alcoholism, institutional inaction, a near-drowning attempt followed by her escape to Frankfurt which led to her music career.

Overview

  • Michelle says daily violence and neglect defined her early years in an alcohol-dependent household.
  • She reveals her father once tried to drown her mother in the bathtub, underscoring the severity of the abuse.
  • Michelle reports that neighbors, school authorities and the Jugendamt knew of her suffering but failed to intervene.
  • At 13 she fled to Frankfurt, later finding refuge with a family band that gave her first singing break and launched her Schlager career.
  • The singer describes lasting trauma, has severed ties with her father and shared her story ahead of a farewell tour.