Singer Michelle: That “wouldn’t happen to her today”

“I have never been as healthy as I am today,” says pop singer Michelle (52), who has had to experience some dark sides in her life and her long-standing career. In an interview with “stern” she now opens up about the dark times in her life. From sexism to domestic violence to strokes: “I’ve experienced a lot,” she says.

Sexism and homelessness as a teenager

As a teenager, Michelle began recording her singing on a cassette recorder. She played the recordings for everyone and went from studio to studio in the Black Forest: “Everyone said they would like to listen to it. But only if I had any sexual relationships with them,” she remembers. “That’s how it was back then,” says Michelle.

She was 15 or 16 years old. She never went into it, she kept looking “until I found someone who did it without any favors.” She then stayed with him, he wrote her a song and Michelle made her first appearance in the Herrischried ski area in the Black Forest.

Previously, however, Michelle, whose real name is Tanja Gisela Hewer, lived in several foster families and sometimes on the street. She also had to experience domestic violence. “I slept secretly at a friend’s house and went out again during the day to work part-time in a bar and earn a little money,” says the singer about her past.

Michelle “often neglected her health”

As if that wasn’t enough, the singer suddenly suffered a stroke during the Easter holidays in 2003. She returned to the stage after the holidays, saying she had “a whip on her neck” and didn’t want to let the fans down. But Michelle “often neglected” her health. She also had to inject painkillers before and during rehearsals for “Let’s Dance” 2022. She sums up: “I should have taken better care of myself.”

In 2023 the penalty order for tax evasion came

This also applies to Michelle’s finances. The singer recently received a criminal warrant for tax evasion. The process is not yet completed. “We’re currently trying to prove that it wasn’t my fault that the taxes weren’t paid. I can’t say anything more about it until we’re successful,” she explains.

She allowed herself to be “ignorantly and naively misled” for too long. “In the 32 years of my career, I have had to learn again and again that there are few people who have my back, who I can really trust,” admits the musician. Today “a lot of things wouldn’t happen to her anymore.” That’s why she now does her accounting herself, with the help of a tax advisor.

What comes after the hit?

In October 2023, Michelle announced her withdrawal from the pop stage for the third time. She now says that although she is still planning live performances with her band, “Floodlight” (released July 5, 2024) is her last album – and at the same time her most important. Because the songs are “very autobiographical”. She has “experienced a lot” and now it is “the right time to close this book.”

She can’t say what’s next, only this much: “This time it definitely won’t be a dog groomer.” She will also probably have more time for private matters, including for her new partner Eric Philippi (27). The singer, 25 years his junior, “apparently had the key”: “The best comes when you don’t think about it.”