Brad Pitt Speaks Out on ‘Awful’ Love Scam That Cost French Woman $850,000: It Took ‘Advantage of the Strong Bond Between Fans and Celebrities’

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Brad Pitt responded to the widely-shared tale about a 53-year-old French lady who lost nearly a million dollars due to an imposter posing as him.

The news emerged on Sunday during the TF1 broadcast “Sept à huit,” as they shared the account of Anne, a French interior designer, detailing her experience of being deceived by an imposter posing as Brad Pitt. This individual had led her to believe they were engaged in a long-distance relationship for over a year.

The deception originated when Anne, who was then married to a wealthy individual (referred to as a millionaire in French media), was enjoying a vacation with her kids in Tignes, located within the French Alps. While there, she decided to use Instagram to share photos of her skiing adventure. The imposter initially posed as Brad Pitt’s mother and told Anne that “her son needed someone like me,” as Anne explained on the TF1 show. Over time, Anne began receiving AI-generated images and heartfelt messages from the fictitious Brad Pitt, whom she stated “was skilled at communicating with women.

Initially, the individual posing as an actor allegedly requested $1 million, stating it was for kidney treatment as he couldn’t access his bank accounts due to his divorce with Angelina Jolie. At that point, Anne – who was herself going through a divorce – had received funds from her settlement and unknowingly handed them over to the fraudster, who bombarded her with artificial images depicting Pitt in a hospital setting.

The sham came to an end not long after Brad Pitt made his relationship with Ines de Ramon public at the Venice Film Festival.

In regards to the widely shared article, Pitt’s representative issued a statement through EbMaster, stating, “It’s unfortunate when scammers exploit the close relationship between fans and celebrities. This serves as a crucial warning to ignore unexpected online messages, especially from actors who do not have active social media accounts.

Ever since the broadcast of “Anne,” a series exploring mental health struggles, I’ve noticed an alarming trend. The protagonist, who bravely portrays her personal battles, has unfortunately become a target for harsh criticism and bullying on social media platforms. In response to this unacceptable behavior, TF1, the broadcaster, felt compelled to withdraw the segment entirely from all its platforms as of Tuesday, January 14th. This action underscores the need for empathy and understanding in our online communities.

As a movie enthusiast, I too responded to the criticism, asserting that the portrayal mischaracterized me as unfaithful, when in truth, my actions were driven by compassion towards someone who was struggling.

In an interview with Le Figaro on January 15th, she expressed disappointment that the main takeaway from her story might be “Anne was deceived by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt.” To clarify, I’ve never been unfaithful to my husband throughout our relationship. I consider myself a thoughtful and sincere woman, not the impulsive or insincere character some people portray me as on social media.

Anne expressed, “I was trying to lend a hand to somebody… and unfortunately, I fell for a scam. That’s why I decided to speak up, as I’m not alone in facing such predicaments.

It’s true that there have been other instances of fraudulent Brad Pitt schemes in Europe. For example, last year in Spain, a group of five individuals was charged for defrauding two women out of approximately 325,000 euros.

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2025-01-16 20:47