Lena Mantler was raped
As part of the Zellwege pair "Lisa and Lena," Lena Mantler gained fame as a teen on TikTok (formerly musical.ly) with her dance- and lip-sync videos and had a massive fanbase. However, with fame came psychological pressure and self-doubt for Lena Mantler.
The blonde twins seemed inseparable and looked like an egg from each other: Lisa and Lena Mantler. The shining and happy duo conquered TikTok with their dance- and lip-sync videos and had a huge fanbase. But with fame came psychological pressure and self-doubt for Lena Mantler.
In two Instagram videos, the now 21-year-old speaks openly for the first time about how she has suffered from speculation about her sexuality for years. A topic that is already associated with a lot of shame and pain for Mantler, as she now publicly reveals, because she was a victim of sexual assault some years ago. "I have never told anyone this before because I was so ashamed. I had to stand up for myself ... but I couldn't. I should have said something, but I didn't," she explains in the video and talks about what she has kept to herself for a long time: "An older woman took advantage of me. (...) I was raped."
The sexual assault led to other changes as well. "I had a phase where I didn't wear oversized clothes anymore, but rather feminine clothes," she explains her fashion change at 17.
However, her baggy outfits sparked new speculation. Many fans were now convinced that Lena was a lesbian. "When everyone writes to you, 'You're lesbian,' you start to believe it," the now 21-year-old says in tears in her video. At that time, she "hadn't even thought about my sexuality," she adds. "I was 17 and still figuring things out." She was unsure and felt lost. She began to question every Instagram post, as her followers interpreted everything into it - even the song selection.
Additionally, people with whom the very religious Christian Lena had grown up suddenly turned their backs on her. It was a "hard time," Mantler recalls.
She still doesn't know to what gender she is attracted - and she has never been in love, she admits: "I thought for a long time that I was only attracted to men, then that I only wanted to date women. I'm still figuring it out. I just want to find a person I can live my life with."
Lena Mantler, in an effort to address misconceptions stemming from her fashion choices, decided to speak openly about her sexuality on Instagram, disclosing that she has faced years of speculation due to sexual abuse and public scrutiny. This topic, coupled with the abuse, has caused her significant shame and pain.
In the realm of social media, particularly on Instagram, Lena's disclosure of her sexuality and past experiences with sexual abuse has sparked important conversations around homosexuality and the stigma associated with it, especially in the context of her religious background.
