(Photo: Collien Fernandes via Instagram)
In March 2026, German television presenter and actress Collien Fernandes made headlines when she publicly accused her former husband, actor and TV presenter Christian Ulmen, of creating and distributing AI‑generated deepfake pornographic content that used her likeness without her consent.
In accordance with public reports, Fernandes had submitted a formal complaint to a court in Palma de Mallorca, claiming that Ulmen had been operating fake social media accounts under her name and had over a number of years sent fabricated videos and images that purported to depict her in explicit situations with men on the internet. She stated that it was a virtually violating experience and she had claims of identity theft, continued abuse, and defamation but Ulmen and his attorney have refuted the claims and they said media coverage was one-sided.
The case has led to a great deal of public discourse in Germany not only regarding the personal allegations but also the legal and societal problems that deepfake pornography as a form of non consent AI-generated explicit content presents, as a global concern in recent years. The experience of Fernandes has highlighted the loopholes in the current legislation since the prevailing laws in Germany focus on the sharing of deep fake content but fail to fully criminalise the production of such information. As a reaction, such policymakers as Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig have expressed intentions to enforce legal safeguards and maybe contemplate legislation that would penalize the creation of pornographic deepfakes as well as more effectively safeguard victims of digital sexual violence.
The scandal has sparked more general debate over the topic of online harassment, abuse of digital identity, and artificial intelligence ethics in media. The case of Fernandes drew the attention of protests in Berlin and the rest of Germany, where people demanded more legal protection against the exploitation and harm of people, especially women, due to the use of AI. Proponents consider that the deepfake pornography, that is, the manipulation of real likenesses into explicit content without consent, is an example of digital violence towards which the current legislations are having difficulties in effectively responding. With the development of legal frameworks, the case that Fernandes is in is likely to continue serving as a point of reference when addressing the issue of digital rights and how new AI-based abuses should be regulated.
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