Brad Pitt is not messaging fans for money, rep warns after French woman loses $850K in scam
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Brad Pitt fans are being warned about scammers after a French woman reportedly lost $850,000 and her marriage after falling victim to AI images and fake messages impersonating the Hollywood star, as per Entertainment Weekly.
The victim, a 53-year-old French interior designer named Anne, first detailed her experience in an interview with 'Seven to Eight' on France's TF1 channel, according to France 24.
A French woman reportedly divorced her millionaire husband then was scammed out of $850k by a fake Brad Pitt.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 14, 2025
The scammer used AI-generated photos and claimed he was undergoing cancer treatment and couldn’t access his money due to his divorce. She realized the truth upon seeing… pic.twitter.com/cG5KFa6ojr
Brad Pitt's rep warns fans not to respond to unsolicited online outreach after French woman loses life savings in scam
Brad Pitt's representative told Entertainment Weekly, "It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."
According to France 24, Anne said she was first contacted by a person claiming to be the 'Fight Club' actor's mother, Jane Etta, on Instagram in February 2023. "She told me that her son needed someone like me," she told the outlet.
After a few days, an account claiming to be the actor himself reached out to Anne.
Anne shared, "At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it's ridiculous. But I'm not used to social media, and I didn't really understand what was happening to me."
She added that the scammers told her that Pitt needed funds to cover his kidney treatment, which he could not do due to his divorce proceedings freezing his bank accounts.
Moreover, to convince her that the real Pitt was behind the account, the scammers sent AI-generated images of the actor in a hospital bed to verify his identity, per the outlet.
Anne, who thought she was in a romantic relationship with Pitt, sent the scammers $850,000 to cover the apparent medical costs as well as ended up divorcing her husband so she could pursue the actor.
Anne said, per The Guardian, "I was in love with the man I was chatting to. He knew how to speak to a woman.”
Anne faced reality when she came across news headlines of Pitt's real-life romance with Ines de Ramon, prompting her to file a police report.
The 53-year-old said, "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this? I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell."
Spanish authorities previously arrested five people for scamming women by posing as Brad Pitt
A Brad Pitt spokesperson previously warned fans to be aware of online scams following the arrest of five individuals who posed as the Hollywood star in September 2024, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The rep said, "It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities, and this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."
The five individuals were accused of scamming two women out of $350,000 by posing as Pitt.
According to the press release shared by Spain’s Interior Ministry, the scammers allegedly messaged the victims while pretending to be the 'Wolfs' actor and started a false romantic relationship.
They spent time building trust until the women "believed they were WhatsApping with Brad Pitt himself, who promised them a romantic relationship and a future together."
