Details emerge as Michael Schumacher 'seen in public' for first time since tragic accident
The Formula One legend suffered severe head injuries in a devastating accident in 2013.
Stricken F1 legend Michael Schumacher reportedly attended his daughter's wedding recently in what would be his first public appearance since his devastating accident 11 years ago. Schumacher suffered catastrophic head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013, and hasn't been seen in public since.
His wife Corinna is notoriously private in regards to sharing information about his condition, and there's an extremely small inner circle of people who are allowed to see him. But it appears as though Corinna is starting to relax the wall of privacy somewhat, with reports emerging that Schumacher was seen at the wedding of daughter Gina-Marie.
Gina-Marie tied the knot with Iain Bethke at the family’s luxury villa in Mallorca, which the family purchased from Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez in 2017. Schumacher lives in their family home on Lake Geneva in Switzerland, but is often transported to and from the Mallorca villa.
Privacy is said to have been extremely tight at Gina-Marie's wedding, with mobile phones required to be left at the front door. But multiple outlets are reporting that Schumacher was in attendance - the first time he's been seen by anyone outside of the 'inner circle' in 11 years.
Last year, Schumacher's brother Ralf revealed he was no longer allowed access to see Michael, however that stance has since changed and he was in attendance at the wedding. "When I see his children Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles,’ Ralf told German magazine 'Bunte'. "If someone in the family is looking for my advice, I’m there. They go their own way."
But in another sign that the walls of secrecy are starting to come down, it's been reported the girlfriend of Schumacher's son Mick has been granted access to the inner circle. Danish model Laila Hasanovic has been dating Mick since last August, and has seemingly been deemed worthy by Corinna.
Late last year, Schumacher's former boss at Ferrari and close friend Jean Todt revealed: "He is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different, and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him. His life is different now, and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That's all there is to say."
This is some news that I’m DELIGHTED about
Last weekend, Michael Schumacher’s daughter Gina got married!
It has been reported that Michael was present at the event, and this was his first ever ‘public’ event since his accident 😊🤩
Keep Fighting Michael, we’re all with you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wDZ6kY2ehK— Formula God (@formula1god) October 1, 2024
Michael Schumacher's wife explains reasons for secrecy
Speaking publicly about the accident for the first time in a Netflix documentary in 2021, Corrina revealed why she wants to keep Schumacher's condition so private. "'Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible,” Corinna said.
“Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael. What he really didn’t like was the press, the people, all the hype around him. That’s not what he wanted. He wanted to do the sport. Michael is very suspicious. He always has been, during the initial period. Until he thinks he knows someone or can trust them, then he opens up completely.”
RELATED:
Schumacher's former manager Willi Weber has previously slammed the level of secrecy, which has resulted in him being shut out. "I tried hundreds of times to contact Corinna and she didn’t answer," he said. "I called (former Ferrari boss) Jean Todt to ask him if I should go to the hospital and he told me to wait – it’s too early.
“I called the next day and no one answered. I didn’t expect behaviour like that and I’m still angry about it. They kept me out, telling me it’s too early, well now it’s too late. It’s been nine years. Maybe they should just say it the way it is.
“I could understand the situation initially as I always did everything I could for Michael to protect his private life. But since then we have only heard lies from them. He was like a son to me. Even today it hurts me to talk about it."