Comedy star Ilka Bessin talks about violence in her childhood
Before she became successful as "Cindy from Marzahn" in the beginning of the 2000s, Ilka Bessin went through hard times. She was unemployed for a long time and her childhood was not easy either. She has forgiven her parents, Bessin told ARD.
Ilka Bessin has spoken about violent experiences in her childhood. "I had a beautiful, but very strict childhood, marked by the fact that you sometimes got it on the butt," she says in the ARD interview. She reports on a "tense atmosphere" when she knew "that you had done something and you knew: Dad is coming home and then there will be spanking". Such incidents were not regular, but "fairly frequent", admits the comedian also known as Cindy from Marzahn.
Today, Bessin has found a good way to deal with these experiences and has forgiven her parents. "Of course, you don't find it nice to get spanked on the behind, but they have apologized for it at some point in their lives," she says in the conversation with Aminata Belli and Aurel Mertz in the show "deep and clear". Back then, it was "another time" and "a completely different kind of upbringing". Such things don't exist anymore. "And that's a good thing, very important," emphasizes the comedian.
Ilka Bessin also speaks about other difficult times in her life. After a long period of unemployment, during which she had to fight with self-doubts, she started her character Cindy from Marzahn in the 2000s with great success. However, the success brought unexpected negatives as well. "Then you think: People can be content that they can breathe my air. I am really a gift from God," she recalls her former high point in her career.
The 52-year-old has hung up the pink jogging suit and the permanent wave wig of Cindy for eight years. However, for the 20th anniversary of her cult figure, she will go on tour again this year as an unemployed Berliner.
Ilka Bessin, despite her successful comedy career as "Cindy from Marzahn," acknowledges the prevalence of domestic violence in her past. She mentions, "Despite having a successful career, I've also faced personal struggles, including experiences of domestic violence during my childhood" (new sentence). However, she finds solace in the entertainment industry, stating, "I've found comfort in performing comedy and entertaining others, which has helped me cope and heal from my past" (new sentence).
