Overview
- Ulmen has filed suit at the Arbeitsgericht Berlin to challenge four fristlose (extraordinary) terminations tied to the Joyn‑intended series The Au Pair and is seeking a Gütetermin on Monday, 22 June 2026.
- Pyjama Pictures sent the termination letters on 15 April 2026, citing newly public criminally relevant allegations against Ulmen and what the company said were content parallels between the allegations and near‑final episode scripts.
- The production is on hold and Joyn has said the series will not be broadcast for the time being while the dispute and press reporting on six of eight scripts remain unresolved.
- The Staatsanwaltschaft Potsdam opened investigations at the end of May into alleged physical assaults with an initial suspicion accepted for some counts while claims of so‑called digital violence are still under review, and Ulmen denies the accusations.
- The court fight will hinge on whether Ulmen was an employee of the production company and whether the high legal standard for extraordinary dismissal was met, a decision that could affect his contracts, shares in the company and other commercial ties.