Who was fitness influencer Débora Michels’ husband and how did she die?

This article mentions domestic violence. Please read with caution.

On Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, the body of popular online bodybuilding and fitness influencer Débora “Deby” Michels was found outside her parents’ home in Brazil. Michels’ husband later admitted he killed her.

Michels, who was 30 when she died, had thousands of followers on Instagram, and was known to post educational videos and updates on her life as a personal trainer, The U.S. Sun reported. Michels’ husband was reportedly seen on CCTV footage putting his wife’s lifeless body on the sidewalk near her parents’ house and covering it in a red cloth.

The next day, her husband told the authorities what happened, and said it was his fault she lost her life. As of this report, her husband remains in custody.

Débora Michels’ husband was Alexander Gunsch

Deby Michels was married to 50-year-old Alexander Gunsch, and the couple had reportedly been together for a decade. The U.S. Sun says that before she died, Michels told Gunsch, also a bodybuilder, that she was leaving him. Only a few days after her body was found, Michels was buried in a funeral service at the Municipal Cemetery of Montenegro, according to the Daily Mail. “This situation is revolting. What our family wants is justice. You cannot leave anyone unpunished,” Michels’ brother, Alex Michels, said.

Michels died in a domestic violence incident

It’s widely reported that Deby Michels’ husband, Alexander Gunsch, admitted the couple were fighting when he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a wardrobe. She complained of feeling sick before she passed out, and on the way to the hospital, Gunsch realized she was dead and, in a panic, dumped her body at Michels’ parents’ house.

Referring to Michels, her friend, Deise Chemelo said:

“Debora was a magnetic person. She lit up every place she went; she only had friends, and she only did good. A fighter, an entrepreneur, there is no explanation for what happened. She didn’t deserve it. We don’t understand.”

via Daily Mail

As of this report, police in Brazil said Michels’ death was being treated as femicide, and an investigation was ongoing.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.