What really happened on September 9, 2018 may never be clear. And that’s exactly why, even after five years, there is still a lot of room for the wildest speculation about Daniel Küblböck (1985-2018). The fact is: The singer disappeared from the “Aida Luna” on a private cruise from Hamburg to New York. He is said to have jumped overboard off Newfoundland in the early hours of the morning. But the subsequent search was unsuccessful and his body was never found. Some fans have a completely different theory anyway.
Because even after five years, some “Faniels” cannot and do not want to believe in the death of their idol. Every now and then rumors swirl through social networks that the former “DSDS” star only faked his death in order to start a new life as a woman somewhere far away. Sometimes it was said that it was spotted in Canada, sometimes it was said to have been discovered in Greenland. “It was so nice to talk to you yesterday and talk about your motives for going into hiding. I can understand you,” someone wrote a few days ago in the last post on his Instagram page – thereby fueling speculation once again that Küblböck isn’t even there Jumped to his death at 33 years old.
One thing is certain: the musician, who became famous in 2003 with his flashy performances in the first season of “Deutschland sucht den Superstar”, will never be forgotten. Many fans left him greetings on his 38th birthday on August 27th. “As long as the spark of hope has not yet gone out and dear Daniel is still with us somewhere, I sincerely hope that he has found peace and that he can be who he always wanted to be,” commented one follower. Küblböck was seen on board the cruise ship in women’s clothing and most recently called herself “Lana Kaiser”.
He had many roles in his life. As a strange bird, the teenager from Hutthurm near Passau hopped across the stage in front of the jury led by Dieter Bohlen (69). The aspiring childcare worker made it to third place – and dominated the headlines. Daniel came out with his first single “You Drive Me Crazy” (produced by Bohlen), he gave concerts, shot a commercial for a dairy and published his first autobiography at the age of 18 (with the help of journalist Julia Boenisch). In 2004 he moved to the first RTL jungle camp, and in 2005 he was on “Big Brother”. Hardly a day went by without someone hearing or reading something about Küblböck. But he was not only admired, there was also a lot of criticism for his shrill manner. When he caused an accident with a pickle truck in 2004 without a driver’s license, he became the laughingstock of the republic.
He later surprised everyone with a change of image: he was adopted by a millionaire in Mallorca and called himself Daniel Kaiser. First he published country songs, then he presented himself very seriously in a suit and with short hair as a businessman and investor in solar systems. Shortly before his disappearance he wanted to become an actor.
Daniel Küblböck often spoke of bullying against him. At school he was teased as “Dumbo” because of his protruding ears, which is why he had them put on in 2005. Most recently he had problems with his acting training at the European Theater Institute in Berlin (ETI). He is said to have prepared meticulously for the final play, in which he was supposed to play an aging transvestite. But ultimately he and his role were canceled under unclear circumstances. He is said to have realized that he would like to live out his female gender identity in the future.
At this point, Daniel Küblböck was suffering from panic attacks and anxiety, according to information from “Spiegel”. On August 16, 2018, a neurologist in Mallorca examined him and diagnosed a “probably acute episode of schizophrenic psychosis.” Günther Küblböck confirmed that his son had been “sick in the last few months” in the RTL program “2018! People, Pictures, Emotions”. Daniel Küblböck was also noticed on board the “Aida Luna”: he drank too much and is said to have rioted in his cabin and talked loudly to himself. On the fateful night he is said to have jumped overboard in the early hours of the morning; several searches in the ten-degree cold water were in vain.
In March 2021, the Passau district court finally officially declared him dead. The time of death was determined to be September 9th, 8:55 a.m. (local time).
The telephone counseling service offers help with depression on the free number: 0800/111 0 111.
