Pop singer Thomas Anders has dropped his birth name Bernd Weidung and now officially bears his stage name Thomas Anders. His wife Claudia and son have also changed their surname to Anders. The reason is bureaucratic hurdles from data protection rules since 2025.
The 63-year-old singer from Koblenz, known as frontman of Modern Talking, repeatedly faced issues while traveling. Since 2025, the field for stage names on the back of ID cards and passports is absent from digital systems, causing problems at hotels and airports. “It really only counts one name for verification now—the one on the front of the passport,” Thomas Anders told Bild newspaper. Tickets were often issued to Thomas Anders, while the passport showed Bernd Weidung. Since February 2026, only Thomas Anders appears in his passport. “My birth name Bernd Weidung no longer exists officially,” he stated. His wife Claudia explained: “Since he has been perceived publicly as Thomas Anders from the early 1980s, the decision was clear for logistical reasons.” The couple has been married for over 25 years. “Now we all have different names!” Bild quoted Claudia. “It feels right and good for us as a family.” She still calls her husband Schatzi and noted he must still take out the trash. Only his sister refuses to call him Thomas. With Dieter Bohlen, Anders celebrated successes with Modern Talking until 2003. The artist's management confirmed the reports.
