Michael Schumacher's family awarded £170,026 in compensation for fake interview case

In a significant legal victory, former F1 legend Michael Schumacher's family has been awarded £170,026 (€200,000) in compensation from the publishers of a German magazine. The magazine falsely claimed to have conducted an exclusive interview with the Formula 1 legend. 

The magazine, Die Aktuelle, faced severe backlash after it published an AI-generated interview with Schumacher in April 2023, misleading readers and causing distress to his family. The magazine’s front cover featured a picture of the seven-time world champion alongside the headline, "Michael Schumacher, the first interview." 

The accompanying strapline admitted, “It sounded deceptively real,” but it wasn't until inside the magazine that it was revealed the quotes were produced by artificial intelligence. The article's publication sparked outrage and led to swift repercussions. The editor of Die Aktuelle was sacked just two days after the issue hit the stands, and the Funke media group, which owns the magazine, issued a public apology to Schumacher’s family.

Why Michael Schumacher don’t make a public appearance?

Michael Schumacher, now 55, has remained out of the public eye since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. His family has maintained a strict privacy policy regarding his health, allowing only a select few people to visit him and keeping updates closely guarded.

In the 2021 Netflix documentary "Schumacher," Michael's wife, Corinna, offered some insight into their life and the ongoing struggle. She had emphasized the importance of family and privacy in their efforts to support Michael. "Michael is here. Different, but he's here, and that gives us strength, I find. He still shows me how strong he is every day," Corinna said.

She had described their daily life, filled with therapy and efforts to ensure Michael's comfort. "We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond," she added.