It is a story that is gripping Germany and has led to one of its best known TV stars tearfully telling thousands of protesters from a stage in Hamburg how she had to wear a bulletproof vest, due to death threats.
A week ago, Collien Fernandes, 44, accused her ex-husband of spreading pornographic deepfakes of her online, in bombshell allegations published by German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Her claims have triggered demonstrations, promises to tighten the law and criticism that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has bungled his response.
Fernandes' ex-husband, Christian Ulmen, denies the allegations and has not been charged. He is also taking legal action against the magazine that broke the story.
His high-profile media lawyers, Christian Schertz and Simon Bergmann, have told the BBC that Ulmen has never produced and/or distributed deepfake videos of Ms Fernandes or any other individuals. Any such claims are false. They argue that what happened between Fernandes and Ulmen is completely unrelated to the German debate surrounding legal loopholes in criminal law over deepfake pornography.
Ulmen and Fernandes were for years known as a prominent, celebrity couple chalking up extensive TV, presenting, production, writing and acting roles between them. The pair's status as public figures partly explains why the case has captivated Germany.
However, regardless of the outcome of this case, it has also exposed anger about what campaigners say are glaring gaps in criminal law.
A group of 250 women from politics, business and culture has released 10 demands including the clear criminalisation of producing and distributing non-consensual sexualised deepfakes. The group includes Labour minister Bärbel Bas from the centre-left SPD party, rapper Ikkimel and climate activist Luisa Neubauer.
Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has announced plans to change the law so that the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes would become an explicit offence, punishable by up to two years in prison, according to draft plans seen by German media.
Fernandes told thousands of protesters gathered in her native Hamburg that she experienced abuse since revealing her plight. I'm standing here with a bulletproof vest under police protection… because men want to kill me, she said.
She has previously spoken about these issues, stressing the need for stronger legal protections for victims like herself. Acknowledging the emotional toll it has taken on her, she expressed the profound impact it had: It was like receiving news of a death, she mentioned about the moment she learned of the deepfakes.
As public scrutiny grows, the political ramifications of this case may resonate far beyond personal allegations, igniting much-needed debates on digital civil rights and women's safety.
