- Michael Schumacher reportedly attended his daughter’s wedding in September
- It is claimed those on the small guest list were forced to hand over their phones
- A friend of the seven-time F1 champion has rubbished the claims as ‘fake news’
A close friend of Michael Schumacher has rubbished claims that the Formula One legend appeared at his daughter’s wedding in September.
The F1 icon, who suffered a traumatic brain injury while skiing in Italy almost 11 years ago and has not been seen publicly since, reportedly attended the wedding of Gina Schumacher, 27, and her boyfriend Iain Bethke at the family’s luxury villa in Majorca, which they bought for £27million back in 2017.
The reports, which originated in Germany, claimed that Schumacher was ‘very likely’ in attendance at the wedding and that those on the small guest list were forced to hand over their phones to avoid leaking images and videos to the press.
Schumacher’s close friend Johnny Herbert, who raced in Formula One between 1989 and 2000, has rubbished the reports and described them as ‘fake news’.
He told Flashscore: ‘It will always be a closed shop. The most recent rumour was he attended his daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, from what I understand that was all A1 fake news and no truth in it.’
The German, who still requires permanent medical care over a decade on from the tragic incident, initially spent several months in a medically induced coma before returning to his family home on Lake Geneva in September 2014.
A friend of Michael Schumacher has rubbished claims he attended his daughter’s wedding
Guests reportedly had their phones confiscated at the wedding between Schumacher’s daughter Gina and Iain Bethke – to avoid leaked images and videos getting to the press
Johnny Herbert, who raced in F1 between 1989 and 2000, branded the claims ‘fake news’
Details of how Schumacher reportedly communicated at the wedding were revealed shortly after German outlet Bild’s initial story.
Elisabetta Gregoraci, the ex-wife of former F1 team boss and QPR co-owner Flavio Briatore, had previously revealed how Schumacher communicates while enduring his health battle.
‘Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes,’ she said. ‘Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.
‘They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house.’
Claims that Schumacher is unable to speak appeared to be supported by his son, Mick, during a 2021 Netflix documentary about his father’s life.
The 25-year-old driver said: ‘I think dad and me, we would understand each other now in a different way now.’
The last official update fans received on Schumacher’s condition was in 2023, when it was reported that the seven-time world champion had been driven in a Mercedes AMG sportscar in a bid to stimulate areas of his brain he once used for racing.
A neurosurgeon has also outlined how unlikely it is that Schumacher appeared at his daughter’s wedding, claiming that his attendance would pose many challenges.
Reports in Germany claimed it is ‘very likely’ that Formula One icon Schumacher was present
Details of how Schumacher seemingly communicated at the wedding have also been revealed
‘If a hospital has been built in his house, with everything medicalised around him, it seems that he has been in hospital most of the time,’ Posti said in October.
‘Based on the information available, I don’t think he leads a very active life.
‘Everything points to him being unwell. As bedridden patients, most people become so frail and stiff that it is no longer possible to get them out of bed after so many years.’
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