German rock musician Udo Lindenberg and singer Nena maintained a secret year-long romance during the mid-1980s, a clandestine relationship involving disguises and hidden hotel entries that remained concealed from the public for two decades, according to interviews given by Nena.
How Udo Lindenberg and Nena Kept Their Romance Hidden in the 1980s
The two artists first crossed paths in 1985 at Berlin Tegel Airport, where Nena spotted Lindenberg wearing his signature long green leather coat, as she recounted to the Tagesspiegel in 2016. According to Nena’s recollections, the connection was immediate, leading them to initiate a covert relationship.
To avoid media scrutiny and public attention, the couple used elaborate concealment tactics. Nena described entering hotel receptions wearing an ape mask and being smuggled into hotels on the island of Sylt or in Timmendorfer Strand under blankets. During a stay in London, they narrowly avoided detection by a tabloid editor when Nena hid behind a velvet curtain in a hotel lobby. The relationship lasted for approximately one year before running its course and ending around 1986.
Decades of Silence Followed by a Public Reveal
The pair successfully guarded their secret for 20 years until they jointly disclosed the romance during an interview with the German newspaper Bild. Despite the end of their romantic involvement, both musicians sustained a friendly rapport over the years. Nena noted in a subsequent 2017 interview with Bild that when they occasionally cross paths, they greet each other warmly and reminisce about the past before parting ways.
Collaborations Beyond the Romance
Alongside their personal history, Lindenberg and Nena shared a professional creative partnership. In 1986, they released the single “Jetzt bist du weg,” a track they recorded together and later re-recorded in 2002. They also collaborated on vocal performances of Lindenberg’s well-known song “Horizont.” Today, Lindenberg has spent nearly three decades with photographer Tine Acke, while Nena has been in a long-term relationship with partner Philipp Palm for over 30 years.
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