The family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher received a substantial settlement from a German magazine recently ... being awarded a $217,000 check after the publication printed an AI-generated interview with the former Ferrari driver and tried to play it off like the real thing.
As we previously reported, Die Aktuelle ran the controversial cover story back in April 2023 ... claiming it secured the first feature with Schumacher following his 2013 ski accident that resulted in a serious head injury and left him in a coma for months.
At the very end of the article, the outlet fessed up to the interview being fugazi ... but that didn't stop the seven-time champion's family from taking legal action.
According to ESPN, the family confirmed the payout from Die Aktuelle's parent company, Funke Media Group.
Following the backlash, Funke fired the editor-in-chief in charge ... and apologized for the error of judgment.
Of course, Schumacher has lived a private life following the ski accident ... which is why the feature story was so surprising at first glance. He hasn't been spotted in public in more than a decade.