New Delhi, India

Michael Schumacher's family is fighting hard to protect the F1 legend's health and privacy. Notably, Schumacher has been away from the limelight following his life-altering skiing accident. The 55-year-old hasn't appeared in public since the Dec 2013 tragedy. Amid all this, Schumacher's family is reportedly battling to keep details about his health confidential amid an ongoing blackmail trial involving his former bodyguard, Markus Fritsche.

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Fritsche worked for Schumacher, the seven-time F1 world champion, until 2001 and is reportedly accused of assisting in the blackmail of the family and allegedly using hundreds of personal photos, videos and the driver's medical records. As a result, he has now appeared in court, in Germany, alongside Yilmaz Tozturkan, a bouncer, and his son, IT specialist Daniel Lins, over the alleged extortion plot of the Ferrari icon. In addition, Tozturkan is accused of threatening to release family photos on the dark web unless he is paid a handsome amount.

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Thus, Schumacher's wife Corinna has lodged a request for the blackmail case to be heard privately. The request has been made as Corinna and her family want the public to be barred from the hearing if her husband's health is discussed. 

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Schumacher sustained a brain injury when he struck his head on a rock while skiing with his son Mick in the French Alps in 2013. Since then, he has been kept away from public glare. At first, he was in a coma before undergoing two life-saving operations. In April 2014, it was revealed that Schumacher had "moments of consciousness and awakening". Later in the year, he emerged from his coma and moved to a rehabilitation clinic before being shifted to his family home on Lake Geneva, with a medical team and his wife working round-the-clock for him.

Following his accident, Schumacher's wife has allowed only a select few trusted relatives and friends to visit him at regular intervals. As a new challenge has shown up, in the form of the blackmail trail, Corinna aims to keep everything private to protect her husband's health and her family's peace.