Brad Pitt's representatives have responded to reports about a French woman who was allegedly scammed out of more than $800,000 by a person posing as the Oscar winner online.
“It's terrible that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection to celebrities, but this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online contacts, especially from actors who don't have a social media presence,” said one spokesperson for the “Fight Club” star. Friday in a statement to The Times.
The woman, identified as an interior designer named Anne, told French media that scammers made her believe she was involved with the Oscar winner for “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” for a year and a half and persuaded her to lend him money to help pay his medical bills, the BBC reported. Their interview aired in prime time on Sunday on French television's TF1, but the segment has since been removed from the news outlet's website following a barrage of ridicule.
“I've just been fooled, I admit it, and that's why I came forward, because I'm not the only one,” she said on a popular French YouTube show, according to the BBC.
Anne, who said she was new to social media, said she first downloaded Instagram in February 2023. The scammers contacted her immediately, first posing as Pitt's mother, Jane Etta, and then as the star one day. after. He said he was told Pitt had kidney cancer, was in financial trouble due to his recent divorce settlement and needed help paying bills. The scammers also sent her multiple AI-generated images of Pitt appearing to be in a hospital bed, and she complied.
“At first I told myself that it was false, that it was ridiculous,” he told TF1. “But I'm not used to social media and I didn't really understand what was happening to me.”
They tricked the woman, a cancer survivor, into sending the alleged Pitt her life savings, including a divorce settlement from her marriage to a wealthy businessman.
Anne said that almost every time she questioned Pitt's authenticity, scammers sent her something to dispel her doubts, and at one point the AI generated a fake news report about their relationship before the actor went public with his relationship with his girlfriend Inés de Ramón in June. 2024. The confirmation of Pitt and De Ramon's relationship is ultimately what led Anne to end her romance with the person she believed was Pitt. Shortly after, scammers contacted her posing as “FBI Special Agent John Smith,” prompting her to contact the police. The BBC reported that an investigation is now underway.
Anne told TF1 that she has attempted to take her own life three times since the scam came to light, the BBC reported, and now lives in a small room with a friend surrounded by what she left stored in a few boxes.
His viral story and AI-generated images of Pitt have taken on a life of their own online, ultimately leading TF1 to pull the segment.
“The news spread this Sunday has caused a wave of harassment against the witness,” said the news magazine “Sept à Huit” on program X on Tuesday. “To protect the victims, we have decided to remove it from our platforms.”
Meanwhile, this is the second time in recent months that Pitt's team has made a statement related to scams involving the actor's celebrity.
Spanish authorities announced in September that five people were arrested during an investigation into a “criminal organization” that defrauded two women out of $350,000 after they posed as the actor online and promised them potential romantic relationships, People reported. Their representatives issued a similar statement at the time reminding fans “not to respond to unsolicited online communications, especially from actors who do not have a social media presence.”
