Potsdam Prosecutors Take Over Investigation Into Actor Christian Ulmen

The Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office has officially taken over the criminal investigation into allegations made by German actress and presenter Collien Fernandes against her ex-husband, entertainer and actor Christian Ulmen, after a court in Palma de Mallorca ruled that the Spanish justice system lacked jurisdiction over the case. A spokeswoman for the Potsdam authority confirmed the decision to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday, stating that the office had concluded it would take over the proceedings because Ulmen had lived within its territorial jurisdiction. The transfer marks the latest development in a case that has triggered a broad public debate in Germany about sexualized digital violence against women. Fernandes, 44, accuses Ulmen of creating fake social media profiles in her name and distributing pornographic photos and videos through them to men from her professional environment. Ulmen, 50, denies all allegations, and the presumption of innocence applies to him.

Fernandes first filed a criminal complaint against persons unknown with the Berlin police in November 2024, alleging that someone had created fake profiles of her on social networks and distributed pornographic content. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office initially took over the matter before transferring it to the Itzehoe Public Prosecutor's Office in Schleswig-Holstein. The Itzehoe authority discontinued the proceedings in June 2025, citing Fernandes' failure to submit documents it had requested. The case was publicly reignited in late March 2026 when Der Spiegel published an investigation in which Fernandes named Ulmen directly, prompting the Itzehoe office to resume its inquiry — this time against Ulmen specifically on a charge of stalking.

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

Spanish judge cites German ties in rejecting jurisdiction The judge of the chamber for violence against women at the Court of First Instance in Palma de Mallorca issued a decree determining that Spanish courts lacked jurisdiction, following a recommendation from the Palma public prosecutor's office, which had already concluded that Spain had no competence over the case. In her ruling, the judge stated that "the essential facts that led to the filing of the report were presumably committed on German national territory or via digital platforms that publish in German." She further noted that all named witnesses are German nationals residing in Germany, that none of the parties speaks Spanish, and that all submitted conversations had to be translated from German. The judge also pointed to Fernandes' public profile, writing that Fernandes is a widely recognized personality in Germany while lacking equivalent public relevance in Spain, meaning the reputational harm from the alleged acts would have been felt primarily in Germany. An argument advanced by Fernandes' lawyers — that the campaign of digital violence could also affect Mallorca due to its large German-speaking community — was explicitly rejected as lacking any basis to establish Spanish jurisdiction. The decision is not yet legally binding, and Fernandes' lawyers retain the right to appeal before a higher Spanish court. According to media reports, the opposing side also intends to pursue an appeal, which could potentially go before the Higher Regional Court of the Balearic Islands.

„Our client has at no time produced and/or distributed deepfake videos of Ms. Fernandes or other persons. Corresponding representations are false.” — Christian Schertz via newsORF.at

Potsdam authority to assess whether initial suspicion holds The deepfake allegations at the center of the case include claims that Ulmen created profiles impersonating Fernandes on various online platforms and used them to send nude photos and sex videos — described by Fernandes as appearing private and self-taken — to men from her professional circle. Fernandes wrote on Instagram that when she originally filed a complaint against persons unknown, Ulmen confessed to her that he was responsible for the acts. The Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed it had received the case files from Itzehoe and said a spokeswoman would make a decision promptly on whether to continue the investigation, though no specific timeframe was given. The authority indicated it would re-examine whether an initial suspicion against Ulmen could be substantiated, and said it may request additional documents from Fernandes and consider whether an interrogation is necessary. Senior Public Prosecutor Peter Müller-Rakow of the Itzehoe office stated that the transfer to Potsdam followed an examination indicating possible crime scenes in that district, without providing further details. Fernandes and Ulmen had lived together in Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg, before relocating to Mallorca in 2023, which established the jurisdictional basis for the Potsdam authority's involvement.

Legal battle over Der Spiegel reporting runs in parallel Alongside the criminal proceedings, a separate legal dispute is unfolding over the media coverage that brought the case to public attention. Ulmen's lawyer, Christian Schertz, announced legal action against the "initial reporting" of Der Spiegel following the magazine's March 2026 investigation. On April 1, the Hamburg Regional Court confirmed that Schertz had filed an application for an interim injunction against the magazine's publisher. Immediately after the allegations became public, Ulmen's legal team described the reporting as a "one-sided presentation of false facts." The case has also sparked demonstrations in several German cities and prompted a wider national conversation about the adequacy of German law in prosecuting crimes of digital and sexualized violence. A separate proceeding on Mallorca involving an alleged instance of domestic violence between Fernandes and Ulmen had already been discontinued earlier, with both having been briefly held in custody in that matter before both declined further prosecution.