Christian Ulmen Secures Partial Legal Victory Against Der Spiegel Over Deepfake Allegations

Christian Ulmen has won a significant partial legal victory against the news magazine Der Spiegel in a dispute over allegations related to Deepfake content involving his ex-wife, Collien Fernandes. The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg ruled that Der Spiegel is prohibited from suggesting that Ulmen created or distributed Deepfake videos of Fernandes, citing insufficient evidence presented by the magazine. However, the court found that Ulmen's creation and dissemination of Deepfake photos remain undisputed and allowed Der Spiegel to continue reporting on this and other serious allegations of physical abuse and threats directed at Fernandes.

The legal battle stems from a Der Spiegel article published on March 20, 2026, which accused Ulmen of digital violence, including identity theft and inappropriate sexual communications under Fernandes' name. Ulmen contested multiple aspects of the reporting through injunction requests. The Hamburg court had initially blocked only some of these, but the Higher Regional Court's ruling added the prohibition on the Deepfake video accusations and certain quoted emails.

The ongoing investigations into the physical abuse allegations are being handled by the Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office. Ulmen's legal team denies key points of the accusations, emphasizing his presumption of innocence, especially concerning the Deepfake pornography claims. Fernandes responded on social media, highlighting that the court confirmed Ulmen's undisputed role in distributing pornographic Deepfake images involving women resembling her. Der Spiegel maintains that the core allegations of digital and physical violence remain uncorrected and will continue their reporting accordingly.