Michael Schumacher's family targeted in alleged blackmail plot

Two men have been arrested by German police for blackmailing the family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, German newspaper reports. Picture.

The report said the two men, from the German city of Wuppertal, were seeking millions of euros from the family of the seven-time F1 world champion.

The Wuppertal public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into blackmail against a celebrity and arrests have been made in connection with the investigation, a spokesman said, without naming the celebrity.

The exact nature of the alleged blackmail is not known. The Independent has contacted Schumacher's representative for comment.

Schumacher, 55, suffered severe head trauma in a skiing accident in Méribel, France, in December 2013 and has not been seen in public since. The German's condition has been shrouded in secrecy for the past decade, with his wife Corinna insisting on protecting his privacy while he continues to recover.

Schumacher has two children with his wife Corinna: son Mick, an F1 driver from 2021 to 2022, and daughter Gina-Maria.

Last month, Schumacher's family won €200,000 (£170,287) in compensation from a German magazine after it published an “exclusive interview” with the F1 legend based on answers generated by an artificial intelligence program.

German point of sale The Current sparked a huge online backlash after plastering Schumacher's face on the cover of the April 15, 2023 issue of their magazine with “exclusive interview” as the accompanying tag.

The magazine said it was “the first interview” Schumacher had given since his accident, adding: “No thin, nebulous half-sentences from his friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54 years old! »

Yet, at the end of the article, the outlet reveals that they actually used an AI chatbot, billed as Character.ai, to generate the responses.

Schumacher's family announced their intention to file a complaint The Current After the publication of the article, a spokesperson for the family confirmed last May the judgment of the Munich labor court and the compensation of 200,000 euros from the Funke media group, publisher of the magazine, without making any further comments. comments. The magazine's editor-in-chief was fired last year, with Funke apologizing to the Schumacher family.

In 2017, a court in Reutlingen gave a suspended sentence to a man who sent an email threatening Schumacher's children if he did not receive 900,000 euros ($960,000).

Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt provided an update on Schumacher's health in December 2023, the same month as a five-part documentary series titled Being Michael Schumacher broadcast exclusively in Germany.

“Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” Todt told L’Equipe. “(But he) just isn’t the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.

“His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That's all there is to say.

Schumacher holds the record for the most Formula One world championships, seven, along with Lewis Hamilton.

Additional reporting by Reuters