Bohdan Smolen for years he entertained the audience – he gained the greatest recognition for his performances in cabaret Tey, as well as the role of the unforgettable postman Edzio in “The World According to the Kiepskis“. However, things were not going well in his private life. He had to say goodbye to the people closest to him twice.
The Tragedy of Bohdan Smoleń. It All Happened on the Floor of His House
Bohdan Smoleń's life was not a bed of roses, which was described in the artist's biography entitled “And there, quietly be”. The first problems came in 1990. His son Piotr, who was 15 years old, took his own life. He hanged himself near his place of residence.“It was a few hundred meters from home,” the satirist recalled in the “Niepokonani” program. It was Smoleń who found the body of his son– I covered the body and waited for the police, knowing that they would ask me a lot of questions that I didn't know the answers to – he said in an interview with Krzysztof Ziemiec.
This tragedy had a huge impact on the family. The most notable was the satirist's wife, who couldn't handle it mentally and also took her own life – a year after her son.. The drama took place upstairs in the house. “In the evening, my friend Andrzej came over. We drank, talked about everything, but not death. At one point, Teresa went upstairs, she was tired. When the guests were already leaving, I went to get her to come down to say goodbye. She hanged herself with her bra. (…) My wife couldn't handle it mentally, she left too. She knew that I was tougher than her and she couldn't understand that she had two more children to raise, she was worried about one” – Smoleń described in the program “Niepokonani”.
Bohdan Smoleń had health problems. He was a heavy smoker.
The comedian never hid the fact that he was addicted to cigarettes – he smoked several packs a day.. IN the book “And there, be quiet” we read that Smoleń he also struggled with alcohol addictionIn 2008, he began to have health problems. First, he contracted chronic pneumonia, then he had a stroke – and two more in the following years. Towards the end of his life, the satirist was paralyzed and practically lost his speech. He had to move in a wheelchair. Bohdan Smoleń died on December 15, 2016. He was buried in Przeźmierowo near Poznań next to his son and wife.
Need help?
If you are having difficulties and are thinking about taking your own life or want to help someone at risk of suicide, remember that you can use the following free helplines:
Support Center for adults in mental crisis: 800-70-2222; Helpline for Kids and Youth: 116 111; Adult emotional support line: 116 123
At this link you will find more information on how to help yourself or others, as well as contacts to organizations that help people in crisis and their loved ones. If there is a threat to life due to suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt, for immediate crisis intervention, call the police on 112 or go to the emergency department of a local psychiatric hospital.