Nina Anhan comments on the arrest warrant documentation for the first time. She talks about criticism, the image of women and Aykut Anhan’s recovery.
Nina Anhan has broken her silence and commented for the first time on the arrest warrant documentation, which has sparked a broad social debate. Her role is also discussed: In addition to understanding and empathy, there was criticism both of her decision shown in the documentary to remain at the rapper’s side and of the way her loyalty was portrayed: Critics complained that she suggested an anti-feminist image of women, according to which female strength is defined solely by the ability to suffer. Nina Anhan replies: “You don’t know anything about us.”
Editorial recommendations
“The whole of Germany is talking about us right now”
On Instagram, Nina Anhan answered questions from users in several stories on the weekend of November 8th. She made it clear that Arrest Warrant is now doing “very well”. When asked about her own well-being, she also said she was doing “very well” – but she was also surprised at the enormous response to the documentary. “I never thought that the documentary would have such an impact. The whole of Germany is talking about us right now, and I wasn’t prepared at all.”
“Everyone should clean up their own front door”
Anhan was also disappointed with how her relationship with the arrest warrant and her handling of his drug addiction were assessed by viewers: “That was a 90-minute documentary and some people now think they know about our whole life. And that’s a bit of a shame and also sad, because everyone should look after themselves and clean up their own front door,” said Nina Anhan specifically on Instagram.
Don’t equate addiction with violence
She also emphasized that the arrest warrant, real name Aykut Anhan, had never been violent towards her. “We had our arguments verbally, yes, but he never, ever, ever got physical,” she explained. “Some say, ‘Why didn’t you go and protect your children?’ But one is an illness. When you hit a woman, you do it consciously. That’s the difference,” she argued. Viewers had previously doubted whether it was right to stay by his side with his two children through the depths of his drug addiction. Some judged that true strength as a woman meant pulling the ripcord to protect herself and her children.
“These are small snippets – don’t forget that.”
Anhan said: “People don’t know anything. They see a documentary and think they know everything about us. It’s just not like that. You don’t know what happened before, what happened after. Whether we were separated, whether we’re still together. You really don’t know anything. And the people who write ‘You should have left’ – you don’t know whether I left. Whether I broke up.” And further: “These are small excerpts. Don’t forget that.”
Criticism of the image of women in the documentary
The documentary and its portrayal of Nina and Aykut Anhan’s relationship were released and approved by the two of them before publication. It also sheds light on the difficulties in the rapper’s private life, who has fallen into serious drug addiction over the past two years and almost succumbed to an overdose. Reactions to the film included empathy for the suffering that Warrant caused his wife and children. While some criticized Aykut Anhan for the way he treated his family and considered that it would have been better for his wife and children if she had left him, some praised Nina Anhan for her loyalty and ability to suffer at her husband’s side.
The idea that every man deserves a woman like Nina Anhan took hold on social media – with the unspoken idea that a woman should endure her partner’s mistakes. This caused severe criticism. Many complained that women’s strength here is defined solely by how much suffering they can endure for a man. Convincing young women that their job is to stay in relationships that make them unhappy is less a problem with the documentary itself than with the way it is perceived by society.