German prosecutors have opened an investigation into actor Christian Ulmen following assault allegations made by his former partner, actress and television presenter Collien Fernandes.
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in Potsdam, near Berlin, said on Tuesday that the investigation concerns several incidents in Spain in 2022 and 2023. Initial suspicions of domestic violence have been confirmed, she added.
The case has drawn widespread attention in Germany, particularly over separate accusations by Fernandes that Ulmen distributed pornographic deepfakes of her through social media profiles created in her name.
Those allegations are still being examined, but have sparked public debate and demonstrations across the country about sexualized violence.
The presumption of innocence applies until legal proceedings are concluded.
The Potsdam prosecutor's office is in contact with Fernandes's lawyer and has reviewed documents submitted by her, the spokeswoman said, without providing further details.
Fernandes and Ulmen previously lived in Potsdam, the capital of the eastern state of Brandenburg, before relocating to the Spanish island of Mallorca.
In its initial coverage of the case, German news magazine Der Spiegel described disputes between the former celebrity couple in Spain.
Ulmen's lawyer, Christian Schertz, said in March that "there were no acts of violence and/or threats directed solely at our client," adding that Spanish police had assumed both parties were at fault.
It remains unclear whether the incidents mentioned in the Spiegel report are the same as those now under investigation in Potsdam.
Schertz said he is not representing Ulmen in the current criminal proceedings. Ulmen's defence lawyer did not initially respond to a request for comment by dpa.
