Overview
- Multiple news outlets report that Die Zeit conducted long interviews with Christian Ulmen and his lawyer in March 2026 but that both later refused to authorize any quotes for publication.
- The Potsdam public prosecutor opened a formal investigation at the end of May 2026 after Collien Fernandes filed a complaint, finding an initial suspicion of bodily harm in the context of alleged domestic violence for incidents in 2022–2023.
- Fernandes has accused Ulmen of digital sexualized violence, saying he created fake profiles in her name and distributed sexual content to other men, a claim Ulmen’s lawyers deny and say no deepfakes were made or shared.
- Ulmen previously challenged media reporting in court and lost preliminary rulings on multiple points, allowing outlets such as Der Spiegel to publish parts of Fernandes’s allegations; legal review and evidentiary work are ongoing.
- Journalists and commentators note that the authorization process used by Die Zeit — where interviewees approve quoted passages before publication — can produce extensive on‑the‑record conversations that nevertheless yield no publishable quotes, a gap that critics say affects public accountability and fuels debate about legal protections against digital identity abuse.