Overview
- Simone Thomalla said in an October 2026 Bunte interview that her relationship with Berlin builder René Merten combines mutual freedom and steady emotional support.
- The couple first met through friends at a grill party and made their relationship public in late 2024, with Thomalla posting “Ich liebe dich” on Instagram in May 2025 and a first red‑carpet appearance in July 2025.
- Thomalla emphasized that Merten understands the demands of her acting work and accepts that long shoots and travel are part of her career, which she cites as key to the relationship working.
- She described the partnership as a source of ease and trust that lets her stop trying to please everyone, accept help and face aging with more calm.
- Coverage presents the couple as stable and mature, includes a blended‑family note because Merten is father to reality figure Denise Merten, and shows Thomalla framing the relationship as personal growth rather than a dramatic public turning point.