Overview
- Fernandes went public in March 2026 with accusations that her ex‑husband, actor Christian Ulmen, created fake online profiles using her name and circulated sexually explicit material that suggested it depicted her, and she filed a criminal complaint in Spain.
- Spanish investigators transferred material from that complaint to Germany and the Staatsanwaltschaft Potsdam has opened an investigative procedure focused on alleged bodily harm in the context of domestic violence from incidents said to have occurred in Spain in 2022 and 2023.
- Ulmen and his lawyers deny the allegations, have called parts of the reporting untrue, and have signaled legal responses while the matter remains unproven in court under Germany’s presumption of innocence.
- Fernandes made a public return at the Deutscher Filmpreis on May 29 and in interviews has described panic attacks, nightmares and post‑traumatic stress symptoms while urging legal and social reforms even as she says she does not expect personal justice.
- The case has prompted large solidarity demonstrations and a national debate about gaps in law and policing around digital sexualized violence, and next steps to watch include further German investigative actions, any Spanish appeals by Fernandes’ lawyers, and possible court proceedings or counterclaims.