Michael Schumacher's family's on-going privacy battle

Michael Schumacher's health has been a mystery for over ten years since his catastrophic ski accident in 2013. His wife Corinna has taken all the measures to keep his health private, but it seems to have relaxed after reports that Schumacher attended his daughter's wedding.

The reports suggested that Schumacher was at the wedding of his daughter Gina-Maria and her husband Iain Bethke earlier this year in Mallorca. However, his close friends denied the reports he attended and said guests had to hand their phones in at the wedding.

According to the Mirror, Schumacher's friend and former Formula 1 star Johnny Herbert said: "It will always be a closed shop. The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter's wedding. Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it."

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Neurosurgeon Jussi Posti claimed it would nearly be impossible for Schumacher to attend based on his condition: "I don't think he leads a very active life. Everything points to him being unwell. As bedridden patients, most people become so frail and stiff that it is no longer possible to get them out of bed after so many years."

Since Schumacher suffered horrendous injuries following a skiing accident, little is known about his ongoing battle. This is due to the ongoing work of his family and legal team, but what exactly do they do to keep his privacy?

La Repubblica released a series of expense reports on the Schumachers, with one big expense being "highly armoured homes to protect his privacy."

The Italian publication's reports suggest Schumacher's medical expenses and privacy are costing the family €7 million (£5.9 million/$7.6 million) a year. But the family has done everything they can do to fight for Michael's ongoing privacy, including hiring a huge army of lawyers to represent them.

Corinna's decisions have so far kept her husband's condition unknown to the wider world, with lawyers in 2015 releasing a statement reading, "Unfortunately, we are forced by a recent press report to clarify that the assertion that Michael could move again is not true," per Planet F1, other than that, little is known.

Felix Damm is the public-facing member of the Schumacher legal team, recently telling German publication LTO about the fight for privacy, saying, "It was always about protecting private things. Of course, we discussed a lot about how this is possible. "

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Damm continues by mentioning the difficulty of providing updates as, "that wouldn't have been the end of it and there would have had to be constantly updated 'water level reports'. Because as those affected, it is not up to you to put an end to the media."

As one of the greatest racing drivers of all time, Schumacher naturally has a huge number of fans seeking to know more, a fact Damm and his family acknowledges, telling LTO, that fans will "naturally" be curious, but, "I also believe that the vast majority of fans can deal with it well. "

Jean Todt, the former boss of Ferrari's F1 team, told reporters in 2019, "Let's leave him [Schumacher] alone. We respect the privacy wishes of Corinna and her children, although we know of course that the accident had consequences. But anyone who says he knows something, knows nothing. I always go to see him. He and his family are my family."

The Schumachers have been litigious when it comes to attempted breaches of their privacy, with the family taking German publication Die Aktuelle to court over an AI-generated interview with "Schumacher" based on his previous responses.

Die Aktuelle published the 'Michael Schumacher, The First Interview, World Sensation' edition in 2023, with the Schumachers receiving a €200,000 (£170,000/$217,000) settlement, per Planet F1.

Recent reports have suggested Corinna Schumacher is in the process of selling off vast swathes of family assets, with La Repubblica suggesting the liquidation is "to protect Schumacher and leave a small door open to hope."

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!