Former Bayern Munich and Manchester City defender Jerome Boateng has spoken publicly for the first time about the suicide of his ex-girlfriend, model Kasia Lenhardt, revealing he feels he has been 'denied the right to grieve'.
A Tragic Timeline
The tragedy unfolded in February 2021, when Lenhardt, who found fame on Germany's Next Top Model, was found dead in her Berlin home. Her death came just six days after Boateng gave a controversial interview to German publication BILD, in which he made numerous accusations against her.
Boateng had claimed that Lenhardt would frequently 'threaten to destroy' his career and attempted to blackmail him with false allegations of domestic abuse. He also alleged she contacted the mother of his children, with whom he was involved in a separate legal case, offering to testify against him.
Boateng's Public Response
In a new three-part documentary about his life, the World Cup-winning footballer has finally addressed Lenhardt's death. 'I have lost a person whom I loved very much,' Boateng stated. He expressed his frustration at public perception, adding, 'I've noticed publicly that I'm being denied the right to grieve. Only I can answer what's going on inside a person. I'm still processing her death.'
Reflecting on his decision to speak to BILD before her death, Boateng admitted he 'misjudged the situation in retrospect' and acknowledged he 'should have handled it better'. Johannes Boie, BILD's former editor-in-chief, has since conceded that 'We would not publish this interview today.'
A Relationship Unravelled
The couple's relationship began while Boateng was still involved with another former partner, Rebecca Silvera. Lenhardt's commitment was such that she reportedly had Boateng's name tattooed on her ribcage.
However, their relationship deteriorated dramatically. Before her death, Lenhardt had described Boateng as 'the devil' and vowed to 'fight back' against his claims once she had recovered from their public breakup and the resulting media attention.
A friend of Lenhardt told the Daily Mail in 2021: 'She died a week after Jerome gave an interview in which he said their relationship was over. He said some really nasty things about Kasia. She was very upset by it.'
The situation was further complicated when Boateng's own mother sent a document to a Berlin lawyer accusing her son of 'abusing women for years'. She wrote: 'For years, my son has been abusing women psychologically and physically, now Kasia Lenhardt has taken her own life and he still does not want to bear the consequences of his behaviour.'
This adds to Boateng's existing legal troubles. Last year, he was found guilty of bodily harm against another former partner, the mother of his twins, from a 2018 incident. He received a suspended fine of just over £168,000 for premeditated bodily harm, though he had denied the accusation.
Boateng continues to deny the allegations reported by Der Spiegel, with his lawyer stating they were 'simply misinformed to a large extent'.
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