A woman was conned into believing that she formed an online romance with Brad Pitt and was convinced to pay him nearly $1 million. In an interview on France’s TF1 network that aired in January 2025, the 53-year-old — who only went by the name Anne – described the year-long ordeal when she believed the Fight Club movie star had formed a connection with her. Now that Brad has reacted to the swindling story, fans want to know the answer to one question: How did the scam happen, and were the scam pictures of Brad made using AI?
Below, Hollywood Life breaks down everything we know so far about the scam.
What Was the Brad Pitt Scam?
During a January 2025 TF1 interview on Sept à huit, Anne recalled the scam beginning in September 2023, according to Deadline. At the time, she received an Instagram DM from a person claiming to be Brad’s mother. The fraudster who pretended to be Brad’s mom connected Anne with whom she thought was Brad by using fake social media accounts.
“At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it’s ridiculous,” Anne explained to TF1, per BFM TV. “But I’m not used to social media, and I didn’t really understand what was happening to me.”
Anne reportedly spent more than a year chatting with the scammers. At one point during their correspondence, the fraudsters convinced her that Brad’s bank accounts had been frozen by his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, and that the actor needed surgery to treat kidney cancer. Anne transferred $850,000 to the scammers. At the time, she was divorcing her husband.
Anne’s story quickly went viral around the world, and she later told Le Figaro her one regret: “[The] only thing we’re going to remember is that ‘Anne fell in love with a fake Brad Pitt,’” she pointed out. “Now, to begin with, I’ve never cheated on my husband in my life because I’m a caring woman, I’m not crazy or corny, as some people say or write on social networks. … I just wanted to help someone, and yes, I’ve been scammed. That’s why I came forward, because I’m not the only one in this situation.”
Are the Brad Pitt Scam Pictures AI?
A woman in France was scammed out of €830,000 after believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt.
These are the photos she received, allegedly from Brad Pitt, that convinced her. pic.twitter.com/DHZklWbUDj
— The Oscar Race (@TheOscarRace) January 13, 2025
According to several outlets, yes — the woman who was scammed was sent AI-generated images of Brad’s face, which had been edited over other men lying in hospital beds and wearing medical gowns.
Anne eventually figured out that she was being scammed when she read that Brad was in a relationship with girlfriend Ines de Ramon.
What Did Brad Pitt Say About the Scam?
In response to Anne’s TF1 interview, a spokesperson for Brad released a statement to multiple outlets, which read, “It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities. This is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online messages, especially from actors who are not present on social networks.”
