German Prosecutors Reopen Investigation into Collien Fernandes Deepfake Allegations

The public prosecutor's office in Itzehoe, in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, reopened its investigation on March 27, 2026, into a criminal complaint filed by German television presenter and actress Collien Fernandes. Senior Public Prosecutor Peter Müller-Rakow confirmed the decision to the German Press Agency, stating the reopening followed a review of recent media publications. Fernandes had originally filed the complaint in November 2024 with the Berlin police, reporting that an unknown person had created a fake account in her name and distributed pornographic deepfake content. The case was subsequently transferred to the Itzehoe prosecutor's office and then discontinued in June 2025. The renewed investigation runs in parallel with separate proceedings already underway in Mallorca, Spain, where Fernandes also filed a complaint.

Evidence request never reached Fernandes, lawyer says The circumstances surrounding the initial discontinuation of the German investigation have become a point of dispute. According to Fernandes' lawyer Christina Clemm, her client was never informed which authority had taken over the proceedings after the original complaint was filed with the Berlin police. The Itzehoe prosecutor's office had requested that Fernandes submit documents relevant to the investigation, but that request, according to Clemm, never reached the actress. The prosecutor's office had previously stated it closed the case because Fernandes had not complied with the request and there were therefore no leads for identifying a perpetrator. Fernandes contradicted that account in the newspaper Tagesspiegel. It was only through a subsequent investigation by the weekly magazine Der Spiegel that Fernandes learned the proceedings had been discontinued, according to Berliner Zeitung. Müller-Rakow stated that further reviews in the matter are now expected to follow, but declined to provide additional details, citing tactical investigative reasons.

Ulmen denies all allegations, lawyer threatens legal action The case gained national prominence after Der Spiegel published a report in which Fernandes made serious allegations against her former husband, German television presenter and producer Christian Ulmen. Fernandes accuses Ulmen of having operated fake profiles in her name for approximately ten years and of distributing pornographic material through them. She also alleges physical assaults. On Instagram, she wrote that Ulmen confessed to her in December 2024 to a "degradation fetish" that gave him a feeling of power. Müller-Rakow declined to confirm whether the current investigation is directed specifically against Ulmen, and stated that which criminal offense might be relevant remains open. Ulmen is presumed innocent. His lawyer, Christian Schertz, announced legal steps against the reporting, describing it as "to a large extent inadmissible reporting based on suspicion" and stating that "false facts are being spread based on a one-sided account."

„No further information is possible for tactical reasons related to the investigation.” — Peter Müller-Rakow via German Press Agency

Key events in the Fernandes case: — ; — ; — ; — ; —

Case sparks nationwide protests over digital sexualized violence The publication of the Der Spiegel report triggered a broad national debate in Germany about digital and sexualized violence against women. Thousands of people took to the streets in demonstrations across the country, including a protest in Hamburg calling for stronger protections for victims of sexualized violence. Fernandes was present at the Hamburg demonstration, according to Berliner Zeitung. The case has drawn attention to the legal gaps surrounding deepfake pornography and the handling of digital abuse complaints by German authorities. The Itzehoe prosecutor's office took jurisdiction over the original complaint because the reported act was apparently first noticed by Fernandes within its geographic area of responsibility. The Spanish proceedings in Mallorca remain at a very early and confidential stage, according to a justice spokeswoman cited by the German Press Agency. Germany has faced growing pressure to strengthen legal protections against image-based sexual abuse, including deepfake content, as technology enabling such material has become more widely accessible. The Fernandes case is one of several high-profile instances in Europe that have prompted calls for legislative reform and faster prosecutorial responses to complaints involving digital evidence.