German TV Star Accuses Ex of Spreading Fake Pornography
German television personality Collien Fernandes has publicly accused her ex-husband, Christian Ulmen, of distributing deepfake pornography created using her image, and of sending these images to approximately one hundred individuals. The allegations, made in the German weekly Der Spiegel, have sparked widespread outrage and prompted calls for stricter laws regarding digital sexual violence in Germany.
Fernandes, who rose to prominence as a presenter on the music channel VIVA in the early 2000s and later appeared in German films and television series, has been battling the circulation of deepfakes online for years. According to Fernandes, Ulmen, too a presenter and actor, managed multiple social media profiles impersonating her, through which he disseminated sexually explicit deepfake photos and videos. She further alleges that he engaged in phone calls using an AI-altered voice, simulating sexual conversations. Fernandes claims Ulmen also shared a fabricated narrative depicting her being sexually assaulted by multiple individuals.
The accusations have triggered a significant public response in Germany. On Sunday, approximately ten thousand people demonstrated in Berlin against “digital sexual violence” following the publication of Fernandes’ account. Another demonstration is planned in Hamburg this Thursday, according to reports.
More than 250 prominent women have signed a petition urging the German government to take stronger action against violence against women, specifically calling for the criminalization of generating deepfakes without the consent of the depicted individual. The petition also advocates for a ban on AI-powered “nudity apps” that create explicit images without consent.
In response to the allegations and public outcry, German Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced plans to introduce legislation that would impose a prison sentence of up to two years for the creation of deepfakes. The proposed law aims to address the growing threat of non-consensual intimate imagery generated using artificial intelligence.