In a case involving allegations of performing the Hitler salute, the Leipzig District Court has sentenced pop singer Melanie Müller to a hefty fine. The court imposed a fine of 160 daily rates at €500 each, totaling €80,000. Müller made a surprise appearance at the court on Friday morning to hear the verdict, despite earlier indications from the judge that her presence was not required.
The court found it proven that the now 36-year-old had performed the Hitler salute multiple times during a concert in September 2022. The prosecution accused Müller of using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.
The case also involved drug possession charges after a search of Müller’s Leipzig apartment uncovered 0.69 grams of a cocaine mixture and an ecstasy tablet. At the start of the trial, the former RTL jungle queen denied all charges.
The court’s sentence significantly exceeded the prosecutor’s request, which had been for 95 daily rates at €60 each. Müller’s defense had argued for an acquittal on both charges. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
Müller was born in Oschatz, Saxony. In 2014, she won the eighth season of the RTL jungle show “Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!” and has since appeared in numerous TV shows. As a pop singer, she performs primarily in Mallorca.
