Man convicted of lying about Shania Geiss
A 24-year-old claims online to have had an affair with Shania Geiss. To back this up, he publishes a fake chat log. His claim to be a billionaire heir is also a lie. For this, he is now sentenced to a fine by a court.
The court convicted the 24-year-old of defamation, imposing a fine of 90 daily rates of 30 euros each. Both the prosecution and the defendant waived their right to appeal, making the verdict final.
In the trial, the defendant's lawyer admitted the charges. "It was never his intention to harm Mrs. Geiss in any way," the lawyer said. His client could no longer explain today how he came up with the idea to publish the fake chat log. "It was more of a thoughtless act," the lawyer said.
After the verdict, Geiss stated: "I hope that the matter is finally closed with this conviction. This topic has been haunting me for far too long, and it's hard for outsiders to imagine how much such public exposure can hurt one's dignity and soul." Geiss initially declined to comment on the trial and neither she nor other family members appeared in court.
The prosecution accused the man of posting a fake chat log on his Instagram account, followed by around 500,000 people, claiming he had sex with Geiss in a club in Kitzbühel. He knew that there had been no meeting between them, let alone one involving sexual acts, the prosecutor said, calling it a "tale of lies." He also sent the fake chat messages to two media outlets, which both reported on the alleged sexual encounter.
Claim to be a billionaire heir also a lie
The defendant presented himself on his Instagram channel as a billionaire heir living a life of luxury with a fortune of 23 billion euros, the prosecutor said. In reality, he is "a nobody" who wears fake watches. He has "modest income" and no assets, and may even have debts, the prosecution argued.
In the trial, the 24-year-old also admitted that he has no other income or assets besides his earnings as a soldier. He lives with his parents and does not pay rent.
The Geiss family became known through the TV show "Die Geissens - eine schrecklich glamouröse Familie," which has been giving insights into their jet-set life since 2011. Shania Geiss is the younger daughter of Robert and Carmen Geiss and has a sister named Davina. The family is from Cologne but lives in the principality of Monaco.
The 24-year-old defendant, in an attempt to boost his image, falsely claimed to be a billionaire heir on his Instagram channel. During the trial, it was revealed that he frequently watched the TV show "Die Geissens - eine schrecklich glamouröse Familie," which features the jet-set life of Shania Geiss and her family.
