Romy Schneider: "Sexy, but too nice" - gossip king Michael Graeter remembers in an interview

Created: 05/29/2022, 13:43

By: Jennifer Koellen

Known and respected for years: Icon Romy Schneider and the notorious gossip reporter Michael Graeter.

(kreiszeitung.de assembly) © Sven Simon/Heinz Gebhardt/imago

"Never melancholic, life celebrated." On the 40th anniversary of his death, the well-known gossip reporter Graeter tells in an interview how he experienced Romy Schneider.

Munich – What Romy Schneider despised throughout her life?

The press.

Because she followed the world-famous "Sissi" actress at the time, she even besieged her ex-husband and son's funerals.

But Romy Schneider got on brilliantly with him of all people: Michael Graeter, Germany's biggest gossip reporter.

Schneider and Graeter shared a fondness for excessive parties, at which they met again and again.

"She was full of life and knew how to celebrate," Graeter recalls, remembering Romy Schneider's 40th anniversary of his death on May 29, 2022.

Romy Schneider's day of death today: That's how "die Schneider" really was - Michael Graeter remembers in an interview

Michael Graeter has met "the tailors" time and again throughout her life.

As a young, "staid girl" in film studios, later in restaurants, once they even went on vacation together.

did something go wrong?

After all, both the tailors and Graeter were known for their active love lives.

In an exclusive interview on the 40th anniversary of Romy Schneider's death, Michael Graeter told kreiszeitung.de how he experienced Romy Schneider and whether he fell in love with the iconic beauty.

Romy Schneider in Sissi's time: Suddenly she was a star worldwide, admired and besieged by fans.

© Imago

Romy Schneider: "Ordinary Maiblümchen" in Germany, sexy beauty in France - memories of the 40th anniversary of his death

District newspaper: Mr. Graeter, cross your heart.

You knew Romy Schneider well, she was a gorgeous woman.

Were you in love with her?

Michael Graeter: Romy Schneider was really sexy.

But honestly?

I was always too fond of her.

We've also known each other for so long, since she was Sissi when she was 16. If you've known each other for so long, at some point the train left for an affair.

Even though she was so sexy?

When I met her, she wasn't sexy yet, but rather conservative.

She was young too.

A lily of the valley from the Berchtesgadener Land, an innocent, unsuspecting beauty.

also read

Former McDonald's manager warns: 'Don't go!

Not to McDonald's.

Not to Burger King”

Monkeypox: who is really at risk?

Two groups are at increased risk

That quickly changed – also because of her boyfriend, the French actor Alain Delon.

Yes, she went to Paris for him and became an orchid there – and a world star.

Alain Delon pushed the right buttons with her.

The time in Paris changed her completely, for the better.

Did you also meet Alain Delon?

What was he like?

Conceited?

Mei, that was just a typical Parisian.

Very handsome, enviable.

We once spent a night together at Why Not in Munich, together with his wife Nathalie.

Nathalie is the woman he married after Romy.

That broke Romy's heart.

At the time, Nathalie really wanted to know everything about the RAF, and that interested her.

I was supposed to bring her everything I could find to Andreas Bader.

Nevertheless, Alain Delon says to this day that Romy Schneider would have been the love of his life.

Which woman did you personally find better?

Back then, Nathalie was a typical French woman, a sophisticated beauty.

Romy Schneider was also really sexy later on.

I can't say anything bad about Romy at all.

She was really charming, always in a good mood.

She loved life and knew how to celebrate.

First lovers, then forever best friends: Romy Schneider and Alain Delon in 1968 while shooting the film "Der Schwimmingpool" ("la Piscine") © Courtesy Everett Collection/imago

40th anniversary of Romy Schneider's death: "Romy was always the last one to leave at parties"

Tell us about the parties you've had together.

How much did you drink?

A lot of.

We once went to a ball hosted by Senator Franz Burda in Munich.

In the back we have Romy, who was on it with alcohol, wrapped in white tablecloths up to her neck.

Then a lot of tuxedo wearers came and showered them with champagne.

She laughed so much...

The good old days in Munich.

At that time the party was still going on.

Which ones do you still have in mind with Romy Schneider?

In Munich, Gerd Käfer was so grateful to me that I campaigned for him to open a tent at the Oktoberfest that he let me have the Käfer tent for a private party five days before the Oktoberfest started.

The party at the private party was really wild.

I have a picture in my head of her and me drinking beer together, both good at it, and singing "In the Summertime" (Graeter sings).

The party was so wild, I thought the wooden hut was about to collapse.

Romy was always the last to leave.

Romy Schneider's 40th anniversary of death: video on the life of the exceptional artist

On the 40th anniversary of his death: Michael Graeter on Romy Schneider – "a goatee where paradise begins"

Once you even went on holiday to St. Tropez with Romy Schneider.

How was it?

What a question, nice of course!

We were there together with the gifted photographer Emil Perauer, we went on vacation and did a lot of shootings.

Once Romy went swimming naked in front of us.

She had a goatee where paradise begins.

Romy Schneider in 1970 in the cult film "The Girl and the Commissioner": That's how we remember her - sexy, strong, beautiful.

© United Archives/kpa Publicity/imago

Romy Schneider's day of death: "She was never melancholic.

Only after the death of her son"

Many people have the image of Romy Schneider in their heads as if she had been such a melancholic person...

Oh yes, what people always say about people... For me Romy was never melancholic, on the contrary.

She tasted life.

Until her boy impaled himself on the fence.

At that point she could no longer be spoken to.

But that's the worst thing that can happen to a mother.

)

What do you think when you remember Romy Schneider's death?

The concept of our life is incorrect.

What sense does it make that such special zeitgeists often have to go so early?

On the other hand, they so naturally become legends, forever young in people's memories.

As does Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

Why was Romy Schneider a superstar for you?

First of all, she was beautiful.

There isn't a single bad photo of her.

But not only that. Romy had an amazing charisma.

And not just on screen, but also live.

I love Audrey Hepburn, but when she walked past you privately on the street, you missed her.

Not Romy.

She had a very extraordinary sex appeal.