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Comedian Mockridge: “I come from a generation in which these were still hero stories”
Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd / picture alliance / dpa
The comedian Luke Mockridge, 35, spoke in a “Stern” interview about his previous dealings with women and described his view of the shitstorm on social media. “I had an almost sporting motivation to pick up women,” Mockridge admitted in the conversation. "I can take responsibility for my misconduct and say: I was an asshole and I'm sorry for that."
Mockridge reported that he “led a very outrageous nightlife early on.” "I wanted to party just as hard as other people who aren't famous, wanted to drink, go crazy, tear sinks out of the wall and jump from the DJ booth into the crowd." He came "from a generation in which these were still hero stories were if you ›clarified one yesterday‹. There were high fives and pats on the back. From today's perspective: late puberty. Uncool." He doesn't want to deny that "I led an excessive party life. It just has nothing to do with the accusation of rape, which has long since collapsed legally.
His party behavior could be criticized “and classified as human misconduct. The other is an act that I did not commit," he added, referring to statements from the summer of 2021: At that time, he himself reported allegations against him on social networks and the complaint from an ex-partner, who, according to his own According to information, I perceived an incident on a night together as attempted rape. Mockridge rejected the allegations and the Cologne public prosecutor's office closed corresponding proceedings.
After the allegations became known in 2021, which SPIEGEL later also reported on, the comedian withdrew from the public for a long time. »I asked friends, doctors and therapists: Is there something I didn't see? No matter how many times I think back on our relationship, there was nothing violent about it. “I don’t blame myself,” emphasized Mockridge. In the interview he also reports suicidal thoughts in light of the allegations against him. A friend finally made sure that he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Mockridge continued to report that it became clear to him that the only thing that mattered to him was how he was perceived by others: “This created a gap between inside and outside.” He was "insanely unhappy" and thought that "quantity" would solve his problems: "Even more love, even more women, even more shows and even more viewers," said Mockridge. That's why he's "almost grateful for the experience of seeing what it's like when half the world hates me." I was forced to build myself up from the inside to like myself.
Feb/dpa