Elon Musk Sues German Network Over Belfast Riots Coverage
WHO:
BBC News - Elon Musk, German public broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
Politico - Elon Musk, ZDF
WHAT:
Business Insider - ZDF confirmed it would remove language tying Musk to unrest in Northern Ireland from the program "ZDFheute Live."
Business Insider - The introduction of the June 12 program stated: "A brutal attempted murder in broad daylight in Belfast. Someone records it, the video goes viral. A racist mob then hunts migrants. The call to action came from a British far-right extremist and tech billionaire Elon Musk."
Politico - ZDF stated it had submitted the cease-and-desist declaration and removed the passage in question from the introduction.
Politico - Musk's attorney, Joachim Steinhöfel, indicated he would propose that Musk review all ZDF reports about him from recent years for potential legal violations.
Politico - Musk sent a cease-and-desist letter to ZDF regarding a claim that he incited anti-migrant violence in Belfast.
Politico - ZDF amended its report and removed the disputed passage from the June 12 edition of its “ZDFheute live” program.
Politico - ZDF added a transparency disclaimer stating that the wording had been removed for legal reasons.
WHERE:
Politico - Belfast, Northern Ireland
WHEN:
Politico - The cease-and-desist letter was sent regarding the June 12 edition of the program.
WHY:
Business Insider - Musk announced on X that he would take "legal action" against ZDF over what he called its "outrageous lies."
Politico - Musk accused ZDF of spreading “outrageous lies” regarding his statements about migrants.
HOW:
Business Insider - Musk's legal warning letter was sent by Hamburg-based attorney Joachim Steinhöfel.
Politico - Musk utilized a German law firm to send the cease-and-desist letter to ZDF.
(UPDATED June 17, 2026 06:43 UTC)
ZDF has confirmed it will remove language linking Elon Musk to unrest in Northern Ireland from its program "ZDFheute Live," following a cease-and-desist declaration. The introduction of the June 12 program had described a violent incident in Belfast and implicated Musk as a catalyst for the unrest, which prompted Musk to announce on X that he would pursue legal action against the network for what he termed "outrageous lies." Musk's attorney, Joachim Steinhöfel, has indicated that he plans to review all recent ZDF reports about Musk for potential legal violations.
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(UPDATED June 16, 2026 20:12 UTC)
Elon Musk has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the German public broadcaster ZDF, claiming they spread "outrageous lies" about his statements regarding migrants, specifically in relation to an incident in Belfast. In response, ZDF has amended its report, removing the disputed passage from the June 12 edition of its “ZDFheute live” program, and has added a transparency disclaimer indicating that the wording was removed for legal reasons. Musk utilized a German law firm to deliver this letter, highlighting the seriousness of his objections to the broadcaster's claims.