Willi Herren: The cult entertainer would have become 50

The portrait of a cheerful man smiles on his tombstone: Willi Herren (1975-2021) liked to entertain the television viewers and heated up to the audience on the Ballermann as a mood singer. It seemed effortless and honest when he was in a good mood on stage. On April 20, 2021, the actor at the age of 45 died much too early. He would have turned 50 on June 17th.

The popular actor from the cult series “Lindenstraße” – he was seen there from 1992 to 2007 – took his first step into reality television in 2004 with his participation in “I’m a star – get me out of here!”. According to his own statement, he grabbed his acting career at the RTL bearing fire. He “was shot from the character actor to Jeck,” said the Cologne.

In 2005 he started his career as a party singer. This was followed by further reality formats such as “Celebrity Big Brother” (2017) or “The Summer House of Stars”, into which he had moved in with his freshly baked wife Jasmin Herren (46) after entertaining. Here he showed the fiesling as a quota villain, which was still known from the “Lindenstraße”. At Ballermann he was the loving party bear.

Willi Herren’s death came as a surprise in 2021, and on April 20, he was found lifeless in his apartment in Cologne-Mülheim. In the then season “Celebrities under palm trees” he was seen a day earlier in Sat.1. The further broadcast of the show was stopped. The cause of death was silent for a long time. Until Jasmin Herren followed her late husband in the jungle camp in 2022 and her silence broke in front of millions of spectators. Contrary to the rumors, drugs are said not to have been responsible for the death of Willi Herren. Because he had spoken of his cocaine addiction for the first time in the ZDF series “37 degrees” in 2012 and in the RTL series “Willi Herren in the drug swamp” addressed his attempts at withdrawal, speculation was speculated about an overdose.

“What is much worse than all this nonsense are the benzodiazepines, that is: Valium. Every doctor prescribes this shit. And that is also what Willi died of,” emphasized the widow on the campfire. Benzodiazepines should have a fearful, calming, relaxing and sleep -promoting effect, but lead to breathing disorders in connection with alcohol.

The relationship with Jasmin Herren ended only a few weeks before his death, she announced on Instagram at the time. But the 46-year-old also denied this in the RTL jungle: “We were never separated.” Even going to the divorce lawyer was a deception to protect himself. “Let’s get off – we always said anyway,” said the widow. This should no longer happen. The crowning glory of her love also remained unfulfilled: a baby together.

The son of a boxer had two children with his long -time Italian -born friend Mirella Fazzi. Son Stefano was born in 1994 and daughter Alessia 2002. Shortly after Alessa’s birth the couple separated. The chaotic patchwork family life was documented from 2014 to 2016 in “Die Herren, Willis Wild World” by RTLZWEI. Daughter Alessia gained the first TV experience here and has since converted traces in the reality department: “Celebrity Big Brother” (2020), “The Summer House of the Stars” (2024) and finally she was on a platform in the RTL jungle camp even at the beginning of this year-as well as her father around 20 years ago.

“Our dad continues to live in us – we live through him. Thank you dad for everything! Papa, you will miss and never forget. Early love,” said Alessia on Instagram after the funeral of Willi Herren, who had arranged you in his sense – despite strict corona regulations. “It will not be the last gift that we could make our father. Because every nice day, every luck that we feel, will put a smile on his face in heaven.” Hopefully that she stepped into his television footsteps. Also regularly her visits to the grave with her two-year-old daughter Anisa-Amalia, who was never allowed to get to know her grandpa.

On June 17, where Willi Herren would have turned 50, many of his prominent companions will surely think of the sole entertainer. On his tombstone under another picture of him on a stage in front of a thunderous crowd, he has had one last time himself: “Tschüß, Ciao and on Willis.”