Tina Turner has admitted she considered assisted suicide in 2016 before her husband Erwin Bach donated his kidney to her.
The beloved star died aged 83 at her home in Küsnach near Zurich, Switzerland, after battling health issues for years.
She revealed in her memoir that in late 2016 she signed up with an assisted suicide organization as she mentally prepared herself for the possibility of dying.
Turner had discovered that her uncontrolled high blood pressure had accelerated her kidney damage – and if her body was going to shut down, she began to come to terms with the idea of death.
Her husband Bach ended up giving her a kidney in 2017.
The last image Tina Turner posted of herself on March 22, 2021, as she told her fans she was thrilled with the release of her documentary ‘Tina’
Tina Turner and her husband Erwin Bach. Turner revealed that she considered assisted suicide when she realized her kidneys were failing due to her high blood pressure. Her husband ended up offering to donate an organ
She wrote in her book: “I think that’s when the idea of my death became a reality for Erwin. He was very emotional not wanting to lose me, not wanting me to leave ‘
In an excerpt from her book published by DailyMail.com, Turner wrote: “In December 2016 my kidneys were at a new low of 20% and plunging rapidly. And I had to face two choices: either regular dialysis or a kidney transplant.
“It was not my idea of life. But the toxins in my body had started to take over. I couldn’t eat. I was surviving, but I was not living.
“I started thinking about death. If my kidneys were bad and it was time for me to die, I could accept it. It was okay. When it’s time, it really is time. I didn’t mind the thought of dying, but I worried about how I would be.
“One of the advantages of living in Switzerland is that assisted suicide is legal, although the patient has to inject the deadly drug themselves.
“There are several organizations that facilitate the process, including Exit and Dignitas. I signed up to be a member of Exit, just in case.
“I think that’s when the idea of my death became a reality for Erwin. He was very emotional not wanting to lose me, not wanting me to leave.
Tina Turner has revealed that’s when her husband gave her a kidney.
She recalled, “He said he didn’t want another wife or another life; we were happy and he would do anything to keep us together.
Oprah Winfrey and Tina Turner attend the ‘Tina – The Tina Turner Musical’ Opening Night at Lunt-Fontanne Theater on November 7, 2019
Tina Turner performs onstage at the World Music Theater, Tinley Park, Illinois on June 28, 1997
‘Then he shocked me. He said he wanted to give me one of his kidneys.
“I was overwhelmed by the enormity of his offer. But because I love him, my first response was to try to talk him out of taking such a serious and irreversible step.
Tina Turner died on May 24.
On April 9, in what is believed to be her last public remarks, she told the Guardian how she hoped the world would remember her – and how she did not fear death.
‘How would you like to be remembered?’ asked the Guardian.
‘As the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. As a woman who showed other women that it’s okay to strive for success on your own terms.
When asked what scares her about getting old, she replied, “Nothing. It’s the complete adventure of life and I embrace and accept each day with what it brings.
Turner is survived by two of her four sons – two predeceased her – and her 67-year-old husband, Erwin Bach.
The couple tied the knot in 2013 after dating for nearly 30 years.
Born Anna-Mae Bullock in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, to Zelma and Floyd Bullock, Turner overcame a turbulent childhood and violent marriage to become a musical sensation and legendary performer.
In her early twenties, she rose to prominence with the Ike and Tina Turner revue, a live show with her former husband.
Behind their appearance of success and marital bliss, she endured brutal abuse throughout the marriage. They divorced in 1978.
Born Anna-Mae Bullock in 1939 in Brownsville, Tennessee, to Zelma and Floyd Bullock, Turner overcame a turbulent childhood and violent marriage to become a musical sensation and legendary performer.
In her early twenties, she rose to prominence with the Ike and Tina Turner revue, a live show with her former husband.
Behind their appearance of success and marital bliss, she endured brutal abuse throughout the marriage. They divorced in 1978.
