Michael Schumacher’s family is planning on suing a German publication that claimed it had conducted the first interview with the driving legend since his skiing accident.
Die Aktuelle ran a font cover spread claiming it had an exclusive interview with the German who had not been seen in public since his December 2013 accident.
The magazine had promoted the interview as: “No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!"
One quote from the interview included, as per Wide World of Sports: “My life has completely changed since [the accident]. That was a horrible time for my wife, my children and the whole family.
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“I was so badly injured that I lay for months in a kind of artificial coma, because otherwise my body couldn't have dealt with it all. I've had a tough time but the hospital team has managed to bring me back to my family."
However, since the release of the interview, it has been revealed that it was not in fact Schumacher answering their questions but instead, an AI chatbot.
ESPN reports that the family of the 54-year-old is planning on taking legal action against the magazine.
Die Aktuelle has been labelled ‘disgusting’ and ‘shameful’ by fans of the racing icon for producing the article.
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It’s not the first time the publication has had a run-in with the Schumachers.
Back in 2014, the magazine posted a picture of Michael and his wife Corinna on the front cover with the headline reading ‘Awake’.
The piece didn’t even end up being about the driver but instead about people who have awoken from comas in the past.
Die Aktuelle also won a legal case against the family the following year after they had been sued for saying ‘a new love’ had entered Corinna Schumacher’s life.
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The article was about the couple’s daughter, Gina.
The family has gone to lengths to protect the privacy of the former F1 driver following his incident.
Corinna Schumacher spoke about her husband’s condition at the end of Netflix documentary Schumacher.
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She said: “Michael is here. Different, but he's here, and that gives us strength, I find.
"We're together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will.
"We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. 'Private is private', as he always said.
"It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."
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SPORTbible has reached out to Die Aktuelle for comment.
Featured Image Credit: GP Library Limited / Alamy. Die Atkuelle.Topics: Michael Schumacher, Formula 1, Motorsport