German TV Hosts Targeted by AI-Generated Deepfake Pornography
German television hosts Charlotte Engelhardt, Mareile Höppner and Collien Ulmen-Fernandes reportedly became targets of AI-generated deepfake pornography, with Engelhardt's young son discovering fake images of his mother circulated at school. All three victims filed reports with authorities in response to the deepfake images.
What happened
Charlotte Engelhardt reported that her ten-year-old son was shown AI-generated pornographic images with her face superimposed onto other bodies on the schoolyard approximately six to nine months before August 2026. The son immediately recognised the images as fake due to their poor quality and brought them to his mother.
Mareile Höppner and Collien Ulmen-Fernandes also reported being victims of deepfake pornography. All three victims filed reports with authorities.
Reported impact
Engelhardt stated that her son was shocked and frightened upon discovering the fake images, though he quickly understood they were not real. She emphasised the importance of the trust relationship with her child in handling the situation.
Höppner has been engaged with the issue of digital violence for years, initially becoming aware of the material through a ZDF documentary in which she, Ulmen-Fernandes and Lola Weippert were approached about discovering explicit AI-generated images of them online.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.