A French woman has reportedly lost her life savings and divorced her husband after falling victim to an elaborate scam involving AI-generated images of actor Brad Pitt. The woman identified only as Anne, shared her story on the French television program Seven to Eight on TF1, detailing how the deception unfolded and left her financially and emotionally devastated.
Anne, a 53-year-old interior designer, explained that the scam began when she was contacted on social media by someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother. The impersonator allegedly told her, “It’s a woman like you that my son needs,” as reported by People. Initially skeptical, Anne admitted she was unfamiliar with social media and did not fully grasp what was happening to her.
Her doubts faded after being contacted by another individual posing as Brad Pitt himself. The scammers gradually gained her trust, eventually persuading her to transfer large sums of money. The requests began with $10,000, purportedly to cover customs tariffs for gifts that the scammer claimed were being sent to her. Over time, Anne handed over a total of more than $850,000, which included most of her divorce settlement, believing she was helping the man she thought was Pitt cover medical expenses.
According to Anne, the scammer claimed that “Pitt’s” bank accounts were frozen due to ongoing divorce proceedings with actress Angelina Jolie. To further convince her, the impersonator sent AI-generated images of what appeared to be Pitt in a hospital, claiming he was undergoing treatment for kidney issues.
“There are so few men who write you this kind of thing,” Anne told TF1 during the interview. “I liked the man I was talking to. He knew how to talk to women, it was always very well done.”
Anne eventually realized she had been deceived after coming across news reports that Pitt was in a relationship with Ines De Ramon. By then, she had already lost her savings and had divorced her husband, a move she described as influenced by the emotional manipulation of the scam.
“I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this,” Anne said in the interview. “I’ve never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell.”
A french woman was scammed out of over $800K by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt
• Scammer DM’d her on Instagram and convinced her with AI-generated videos and edited images
• She divorced her husband thinking they would get together
• Scammer convinced her his bank… pic.twitter.com/VWD3RtvIO3
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) January 14, 2025
The story sparked widespread attention after the interview aired, and Anne reportedly began receiving online harassment, with many criticizing her for being naive. Following the backlash, TF1 removed the interview from its platforms, as noted by The Guardian.
A representative for Brad Pitt also commented on the incident, emphasizing that the actor does not use social media, which makes him an easy target for scammers.
“It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities,” the representative said. “But this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”
Anne’s experience highlights the growing sophistication of online scams, particularly those leveraging AI technology and celebrity images to exploit unsuspecting victims. Experts continue to advise caution when engaging with unknown individuals online, especially when unsolicited requests for money are involved.
