“GZSZ” actress Olivia Marei: “My boundaries were ignored”

The annual international day of action on November 25th aims to raise awareness of violence against women. “GZSZ” actress Olivia Marei (34), who has been playing the role of Toni Ahrens on RTL-Daily since 2018, takes this as an opportunity to talk about her own experiences with violence. “I’m breaking the silence because I’m convinced that silence encourages violence,” she says in an RTL interview. Visibility is the key “to strengthening those affected, enabling help and bringing about long-term social change.”

Since her childhood, she has repeatedly experienced border crossings, says the actress. She discovered early on that some men didn’t respect her boundaries. In her youth, there were moments “when my boundaries were violated – for example when a group of strangers pulled down my strapless top, or when a man ignored my repeated No! and harassed me after a kiss in the stairwell,” reports Marei.

The actress also says she experienced violence in a relationship. “It was particularly painful that the perpetrator was someone I loved.” Her parents and close friends were an enormous source of support and helped her break away from the destructive relationship. “This experience shows how important it is that those around you remain attentive and actively offer support to those affected, even if they cannot immediately talk about it.”

Marei reports that an incident during one of her first acting experiences was particularly memorable, “when a man stroked my leg during a car ride and made inappropriate comments.” During her first theater jobs she repeatedly had to struggle with abuse of power. “Looking back, I’m shocked by the comments and attacks I experienced as a young actress – from slaps to unasked touching to inappropriate calls.”

She always had the feeling that she couldn’t speak openly because she was dependent on her job. However, the MeToo movement has improved a lot and she works with people who respect boundaries, explains Marei. An important advance is also the intimacy coordination on set, “as used on ‘GZSZ’: boundaries and touching are professionally agreed upon in advance, so that everyone involved feels comfortable.”