A string of high-profile lawsuits is reshaping Germany’s media landscape, with courts simultaneously probing the employment rights of creative workers, the limits of free expression, and the accuracy of broadcast journalism. The cases, stretching from Berlin to Munich, involve celebrities, former intelligence officials, and foreign tech billionaires – but they share a common thread: a growing readiness to challenge editorial decisions and contractual terminations in open court.
At the forefront is actor-director Christian Ulmen, who has taken his former production company Pyjama Pictures to the Berlin Labour Court. The firm terminated several contracts related to the streaming series “The Au Pair” – covering Ulmen’s roles as director, writer, and editor, as well as an exclusivity agreement – without notice in mid-April 2026. The dismissal was based on allegations from Ulmen’s ex-wife, Collien Fernandes, who accuses him of domestic violence and creating pornographic footage. The Potsdam public prosecutor’s office has been investigating since the end of May. Ulmen denies the accusations and is arguing in court that he should be classified as an employee, which would grant him stronger dismissal protection. A preliminary conciliation hearing is set for June 22. Meanwhile, the fallout has cost him other jobs, including a voice-over role with a children’s audio book publisher.
Parallel proceedings in Munich are targeting the public broadcaster ZDF from two sides. The Higher Regional Court of Munich has ordered ZDF to stop repeating four specific statements from an October 2022 episode of “ZDF Magazin Royale” about former BSI director Arne Schönbohm. The show had reported on alleged contacts between Schönbohm and Russian intelligence services; the court found those claims untrue and a violation of his personality rights. However, the judges rejected Schönbohm’s demand for €100,000 in damages because he had failed to assert his cease-and-desist rights early enough. The court did not allow an appeal.
Elon Musk, meanwhile, secured a cease-and-desist undertaking from the same broadcaster. During the June 12 edition of “ZDFheute live”, the show stated that Musk had called for a hunt on migrants. In reality, he had simply reposted a protest call from a British far-right extremist on X. ZDF acknowledged the imprecise wording and removed the passage.
Another former public figure, ex-national goalkeeper Uli Stein, is also fighting a 2024 n-tv report about his 1994 dismissal from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Munich court indicated it would partly grant Stein’s request to delete certain statements, but noted that the key witness from the time has since died. A final ruling is expected within two weeks.
Together, these cases illustrate a judiciary increasingly asked to balance competing interests: the protection of personal reputation, the freedom of the press, and the rights of individuals working in fluid creative roles. For Germany’s media companies, the outcome of each case could set precedents that ripple far beyond the individual disputes.
