Michael Schumacher health condition latest news: family continues news blackout 3 years after ski accident

Legendary race car champion Michael Schumacher turned 48 this week, but his family continues to keep his health condition a secret three years after his fateful skiing accident.

The family of the seven-time Formula One (F1) World Champion, headed by his wife Corinna Betsch and two children Gina-Marie and Mick, opted to launch a news blackout regarding his recovery status after he was brought back home from the hospital for private treatments.

The public could only get official reports about his health condition from his manager and former journalist Sabine Kehm, who recently reaffirmed that they will not reveal Schumacher's recovery status. "Michael's health is not a public issue and we will continue to make no comment in that regard," Sabine stated in a press release that was published by iNews. "This is because we have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere."

Sabine also said that the family knows that Schumacher's fans are having a hard time accepting their request for privacy during the racing champion's road to recovery. But they have to strictly implement it to avoid any untoward incidences like the proliferation of false reports that happened in December 2015, when German publication Die Bunte erroneously claiming that the F1 legend can already walk several steps with assistance.

The incident resulted in a filing of a lawsuit in September 2016 to correct the publication's report. According to Schumacher's lawyer Felix Damm, the car racer could still not walk with or without assistance.

In a separate interview that was reported by Daily Star, Kehm reiterated that they have to respect the family's wishes to keep their silence about the racer's medical condition to keep his privacy as he continues with his treatment.