Actress and TV personality Collien Fernandes has accused her ex-husband of spreading false pornographic images of her online, sparking weeks of debate in Germany over online sexual violence.
But as Fernandez told AFP in an interview, she was initially “hesitant” to pursue criminal proceedings.
Her lawyer encouraged her to press on, calling it a “digital Pellico case.”
French rape survivor Gisele Pelicot became a symbol of the global fight against sexual violence after waiving her right to anonymity in a case that shocked France and the world.
Pellicott’s now ex-husband, Dominic, was found guilty in 2024 of drugging her and allowing dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious.
Fernandez told AFP in a remote interview between filming in Singapore that her lawyer’s comparisons with the Pellicott case “were burned into my mind”.
“I kept thinking: ‘I can’t let him get this,'” Fernandez, 44, said.
Fernandez, who is also known as a TV host and model, said she had been plagued for years by fake profiles bearing her name on social media and allegedly fake explicit images circulated online, which artificial intelligence and other tools had made increasingly credible.
She has now accused her husband, actor and TV presenter Christian Ulmen, 50, of sending fake nude photos of her to multiple men and using a manipulated voice to conduct explicit phone conversations.
In this way, Fernandez said, Ullman convinced 30 men, including some from her professional circle, that they were having secret online relationships with her.
– The world collapsed –
According to Fernandez, her husband confessed his love to her in a hotel room in Hamburg at the end of 2024.
She said he refused to name the men he had contacted and told her he was “too ashamed”.
Her world collapses and she takes refuge with her daughter at her sister’s house.
Fernandez recalled having dinner with a producer where she learned he believed he had engaged in sexual conversations with her online.
She said that later she saw a story written by her husband in which she was raped by 21 men while crying.
“The thought that someone who claims to love me would be happy with my sob story completely devastates me,” Fernandez said.
She divorced her husband a few months after the incident, prompting her to revisit the Pellicott case.
An emotional Fernandez said the “extremely difficult” case resonated with her so much that she would “be in tears” after reading the full article about the case.
She said it was the “strength” displayed by Gisele Pellicot that gave her the courage to go to court, end the rumors surrounding her and fight for victims of digital violence who don’t have her platform.
“I really wanted to meet” Pellicott, Fernandez said.
– Death threats –
After Fernandez told her story to Der Spiegel news magazine in late March, German prosecutors said they had reopened the investigation into Ulmen.
He denies producing or distributing altered “deepfake” pornographic videos.
Fernandez and Ullman are also waiting to see if Spanish authorities will take up the case, where they also have residences and where laws on online harassment are stricter.
After making the information public, Fernandez received an outpouring of support but also death threats.
Fernandez said she was “deeply moved” by the support shown by tens of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets across Germany.
The case has put pressure on the government of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz to quickly develop proposals to tackle online violence, particularly involving deepfakes.
“I expect Germany will adopt harsher penalties to let the perpetrators understand that this is unacceptable!” Fernandez said.
As for her personal recovery, she said she is rebuilding through “intensive therapy” after experiencing the betrayal.
She said many of the other victims she met of such crimes suffered from “post-traumatic stress disorder.”
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
