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.
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.
Currently under German law, only the dissemination of such pictures is potentially punishable if it is found to have breached someone's right to their own image.
Fernandes told thousands of protesters gathered in her native Hamburg on Thursday night of the abuse she has experienced since going public with her allegations.
I'm standing here with a bulletproof vest under police protection… because men want to kill me, she stated, highlighting the severity of online abuse she has faced.
Fernandes has lodged a legal complaint in Spain, where the couple previously lived together, making allegations of threats and abuse, which reflects her concerns about the legal framework in Germany regarding such matters.
The case is also putting political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is accused of being out of touch with issues affecting women and younger voters.
This high-profile scandal continues to raise significant awareness about the urgent need for improvements in the legal system to protect individuals from the growing threat of digital abuse.
