Until that fateful day on December 29, 2013, when retired F1 star Michael Schumacher suffered life-altering injuries in a devastating ski accident, he and his wife Corinna were looking forward to enjoying the future together, built on the millions he earned from his career.
In the immediate aftermath of the seven-time F1 champion’s severe brain injury on the slopes of Meribel, Corinna, now 55, and their closest family members swiftly created a barrier of privacy around him.
Since then, there have been no public sightings of the racing legend—widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers in history—and the family has maintained near-total silence on his condition, offering only the words: “He’s here, but he’s different.”
The couple’s two primary residences—a serene lakeside estate near Gland, Switzerland, just 45 minutes north of Geneva, and their Balearic property, Villa Yasmin, on the island of Mallorca, where their daughter Gina was recently married, with Michael “very likely” in attendance—have been transformed into luxury fortresses, each equipped with its own private medical facilities.
Maintaining this level of impenetrable privacy comes with significant financial and emotional costs, with Corinna firmly at the helm, steering how her husband’s legacy is safeguarded.
Since Michael Schumacher’s 2013 skiing accident, where he collided with a rock in the French resort of Meribel and suffered life-altering brain injuries, his wife of nearly 30 years has taken firm control of the family’s privacy. (Pictured supporting their son Mick at the Monza Grand Prix earlier this year)
Married in 1994, the couple has two children: Gina, 27, and Mick, 25. Corinna has only publicly addressed their personal struggles once, in a Netflix documentary, where she opened up about mourning the life they had before everything changed in December 2013. (Pictured in 2005)
There have been no public sightings of Schumacher (pictured skiing in Italy in 2005), and over the years, Corinna and his closest family have faced blackmail attempts aimed at exposing details of his health to the public.
“I miss him every day.” At 55, Corinna continues to protect the family’s privacy with round-the-clock security, though recent weeks have hinted at a slightly more relaxed approach.
However, recent months suggest that Corinna, the German-born mother of the couple’s two children, Gina, 27, and Mick, 25, may finally be more open to a slightly more public life. She has been seen supporting her racing driver son from the sidelines, welcomed his girlfriend into their ‘inner circle,’ and is believed to have approved Michael’s attendance at Gina’s wedding.
Corinna’s readiness to embrace a bit more openness is perhaps not surprising after a decade spent fiercely defending her husband’s privacy. While there are no indications that the family plans to make any dramatic changes, Corinna must look to the future and acknowledge that her family will naturally evolve in the coming years, especially with Gina now married and Mick rumored to be engaged to his model girlfriend.
Here, MailOnline examines how she has confronted blackmail threats from former employees regarding photos of her husband and the sacrifices she has made to ensure he lives a life of complete privacy.
**THE BLACKMAIL PLOT – AND AI INTERVIEW – THAT HAVE THREATENED TO UNDERMINE CORINNA’S HARD-WON FIGHT FOR PRIVACY**
This summer, Corinna faced her worst fears when a blackmail scheme centered around photos of Michael emerged, resulting in the arrest of two men in June.
The suspects, Yilmaz T, 53, and his 30-year-old son from Wuppertal in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region, allegedly claimed to possess sensitive files containing images of the F1 legend following his near-fatal skiing accident in 2013. They reportedly warned the Schumachers that they “would not want (the pictures) published” and “demanded millions” to prevent their release.
German national Yilmaz T, 53, pictured, and his 30-year-old son from Wuppertal were arrested in June for an extortion attempt.
The two men, detained on June 19, allegedly provided “individual files” to the family to demonstrate their access to documents related to the F1 star, according to investigators at the time.
A senior prosecutor in Wuppertal later confirmed to German media that a preliminary review of data obtained from searches of the bouncer’s apartment included “photos relating to the Schumacher family’s private life.”
German authorities were alerted to the blackmail plot by officials in Switzerland, where Schumacher has been receiving care at the family home since the accident.
Prosecutors stated that “technical measures” allowed them to trace the alleged extortionists back to Wuppertal.
The two suspects, who were on probation for another case, were arrested on June 19 in a supermarket parking lot in Groß-Gerau, south of Frankfurt.
Authorities conducted searches at eight locations, including the suspects’ primary residences, seizing “several data storage devices.”
Prosecutors noted that “extensive investigations” into the case were still ongoing.
If convicted, the suspects face prison sentences of up to five years, the prosecutors added.
In a separate legal matter, Schumacher’s family won a case in June against a German tabloid magazine that published a fake AI-generated interview with the 55-year-old former race car driver.
The magazine Die Aktuelle had claimed in April 2023 that it had secured an interview with the motorsport legend; however, the article contained computer-generated quotes.
German tabloid Bild reported that Schumacher’s family was awarded €200,000 (approximately $220,000) in compensation.
“MICHAEL IS HERE, BUT DIFFERENT”: CORINNA’S LIFE SINCE THE ACCIDENT
From the moment it became clear that Michael had sustained life-changing injuries in early 2014, the hospital where he was initially treated implemented strict security measures, allowing only trusted visitors, including Corinna, Gina, and Mick, as well as former Ferrari team principal and CEO Jean Todt, to see him.
The medical team responsible for his care included Professor Gérard Saillant, a brain and spine injury expert and close friend of Schumacher.
Corinna has publicly addressed her life with Michael since his accident only once, in the 2021 Netflix documentary *Schumacher*. During this rare interview, she became emotional as she recounted the tragic skiing accident that resulted in his near-fatal brain injury.
Against all odds, Michael survived two surgeries but remained in critical condition for several weeks.
By April 2014, he was gradually being withdrawn from the medically induced coma, a process that concluded in June of that year.
Following this, he was transferred to Lausanne University Hospital for ongoing rehabilitation, eventually leaving the facility in September to return to the £50 million Schumacher family home in Gland, Switzerland, located on the banks of Lake Geneva.
In the 2021 Netflix documentary *Schumacher*, Corinna provided a brief glimpse into their life post-accident, expressing her grief over the loss of the man she once shared her life with.
It was the first time she had spoken publicly about her husband in eight years, and she hasn’t spoken since.
Corinna noted that Michael is “different” since his injury, sharing that during his racing days, she always believed “guardian angels” were watching over him.
She expressed, “I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me; it’s the children, the family, his father, and everyone around him.
“Everyone misses Michael, but he is here—different, but still present. He continues to show me his strength every day.”
Michael is seen in archival footage with his son Mick, daughter Gina, and wife Corinna in the 2021 Netflix documentary.
“I have never blamed God for what happened. It was just really bad luck—an immense amount of bad luck that anyone can face in life.
“It’s always difficult to ask, ‘Why is this happening to Michael or us?’ But then, why does it happen to others?”
Holding back tears, Corinna added, “Of course, I miss Michael every day. But it’s not just me; it’s the children, the family, his father, and everyone around him.
“Everyone misses Michael, but he is here—different, yet still present—and that gives us strength, I believe.”
Former Ferrari and FIA chief Jean Todt remarked in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe last year that Schumacher “is simply not the Michael he used to be; he is different.” However, he noted that Corinna is “getting on with life as he would have wanted.”
TRACKSIDE ONCE MORE: POIGNANT MOMENTS AS CORINNA RETURNS TO F1 TO SUPPORT SON MICK
Being back at the tracks that made her seven-time F1 champion husband famous has brought back poignant memories for Corinna Schumacher. The 55-year-old wife of the legendary F1 driver was spotted at the Austrian Grand Prix in June this year, cheering on her son Mick.
Corinna has returned to the world of Formula 1 thanks to her son Mick’s racing career. (Pictured at the Monza GP earlier this year)
Trying to get life back on track: Corinna watching son Mick Schumacher in Bahrain in 2019
Emotional return to the paddock: Corinna has been attending racing events more frequently as Mick’s motorsport career has progressed. (In Monza this year)
Emotional return to the paddock: Corinna has been spotted at racing events more frequently as Mick’s motorsport career has progressed (in Monza this year).
At the time of his father’s accident, Mick was just 14 years old and witnessed the incident firsthand while accompanying his dad on that ill-fated trip.
Since then, he has become the most visible member of the family, forging his own path in motorsport. He claimed titles in both the Formula 3 and Formula 2 junior categories on his journey to F1, where he secured a two-year stint as a driver for the American team Haas.
Similar to Schumacher, Mick transitioned from karting to motorsport and has since raced in F4, F3, F2, and F1.
Mick is currently racing for the Alpine constructor in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, while also serving as a reserve F1 driver for both Mercedes and McLaren.
He was ultimately released at the end of the 2022 season as Haas struggled to compete with larger, more successful teams, but he was kept on as a reserve driver by the Mercedes F1 team, which his father helped launch in 2010.
Currently, Mick is racing for the Alpine constructor in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship, while also serving as a reserve F1 driver for both Mercedes and McLaren.
Mick has paid tribute to his father’s legacy several times on the track during heartfelt exhibition events. He drove his father’s 1994 Benetton F1 car in show laps at Spa in 2017, piloted the record-breaking Ferrari F2004 at Mugello in 2020, and most recently donned his father’s original Mercedes overalls and race helmet while driving at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed last summer.
