Nadja Benaissa experienced highs through her singing career, but also many lows. Now the no-angels star remembers the difficult time after the band ended.
They belong to Germany’s most famous girl groups: No Angles. In 2000, Nadja Benaissa became famous together with her bandmates. After a few years, the successful music project was over for the time being. At times it became very quiet around the singers. During this time, Benaissa went through a lot.
“After the separation of the No Angels, my life went from a hundred to zero. Before that, I was always on the go, had way too much to do, suddenly there was nothing left. I was completely desperate,” says the now 40-year-old in “Zeit “-Interview. She no longer did music or sport – things that would have helped her in times of crisis in the past. “I no longer knew: What is the meaning of my life?”
Escape to alcohol and drugs
“I was overwhelmed with my whole life,” she continues. Her role as a mother, the work and her inner struggles were too much. “Everything came crashing down on me. I just blocked a lot of things out of my mind to protect myself.” She took refuge in alcohol and drugs “to somehow get by”. “I didn’t process anything. At some point all these emotions became a big black hole and swallowed me up.”
When she was in her mid-thirties, she realized that things couldn’t go on like this. She sought professional help. “I was faced with the decision to surrender to my misery, maybe even die – or finally change something.”
Looking back, she says today: “The older I get, the clearer I become. I used to be so confused, excited and confused. But most importantly, I now feel better than I could ever have imagined.”
No Angels was created 23 years ago from the first season of the now discontinued talent show “Popstars”. In addition to Nadja Benaissa, founding members include Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, Vanessa Petruo and Jessica Wahls. The band broke up three years later, celebrating a comeback in 2007 without Petruo before breaking up again in 2014 – although Benaissa had already left in 2010. Since 2021, the No Angels are back again, again with Benaissa but still without Petruo.
