A French woman was deceived out of over $800,000 by scammers who pretended to be actor Brad Pitt, convincing her they were in a romantic relationship and that he needed financial assistance for medical expenses.
The woman, identified only as Anne, shared her story with French television network TF1, though the interview was later removed following widespread online ridicule. According to reports from The Times and French news outlets AFP and BFM TV, Anne initially received a message from someone posing as Pitt’s mother, who claimed, “It’s a woman like you that my son needs.”
Although Anne was initially doubtful, she continued the conversation and was soon contacted by someone pretending to be Pitt himself. “At first, I thought it was fake, that it was absurd,” she told TF1. “But I’m not familiar with social media, and I didn’t fully understand what was happening.”
Anne’s first financial contribution was nearly €10,000 to cover supposed customs fees for gifts that were allegedly sent by the actor. She mentioned to TF1, “There are so few men who say these things to you. I liked the man I was talking to; he knew how to charm women. Everything was very convincing.”
After confiding in the scammer about her recent divorce, Anne transferred nearly all of her €775,000 settlement—about $798,000—when the fake Pitt claimed he needed a loan due to a kidney cancer diagnosis and restricted bank accounts as a result of his divorce with Angelina Jolie.
The scammer sent AI-generated images of Pitt’s face overlaid on hospital bed photos to further deceive her. When Anne saw reports about Pitt’s relationship with Ines De Ramon, the scammers sent her messages denying the claims. Eventually, Anne realized she had been scammed after reading more about Pitt and De Ramon.
Anne has since filed a lawsuit, and authorities have opened an investigation. TF1 removed the interview to shield Anne from online harassment.