French broadcaster TF1 has withdrawn a program about a French woman who was defrauded of €830,000 (£700,000; $850,000) by scammers masquerading as actor Brad Pitt. The woman has been ridiculed extensively.
The primetime program broadcast on Sunday garnered national attention for interior designer Anne, 53. She believed she had been in a relationship with Pitt for a year and a half.
She has since stated on a well-known French YouTube channel that she was not “crazy or a moron”: “I just got played, I admit it, and that’s why I came forward, because I am not the only one.”
A representative for Brad Pitt stated to Entertainment Weekly in the United States that it was “disgusting” that fraudsters exploit the strong bond between fans and celebrities. The representative also advised that individuals should not respond to unsolicited online outreach, particularly from actors who lack a social media presence.
The program claimed that Anne had attempted suicide three times and lost her life assets since the scam was revealed. Hundreds of social media users mocked her.
Netflix France published a post on X admonishing “four films with Brad Pitt (for real).” Toulouse FC responded in a post that has since been deleted, stating, “Hi Anne, Brad told us he would be at the stadium on Wednesday… and you?”
The club has since issued an apology for the post.
TF1 removed the segment on Anne on Tuesday following the “wave of harassment” that resulted from her testimony. However, the program is still accessible online.
In the report, Anne stated that her ordeal began in February 2023, when she downloaded Instagram while married to an affluent entrepreneur.
Jane Etta, somebody who claimed to be Brad Pitt’s mother, promptly contacted Anne. The individual informed Anne that her son “needed a woman like her.”
Anne was alarmed when an individual claiming to be Pitt contacted her the following day. “But as someone who isn’t very used to social media, I didn’t really know what was happening to me,” she said.
The Fake Brad Pitt Scam: How Anne Was Deceived by AI-Generated Photos
“Brad Pitt” stated that he attempted to send Anne luxury gifts but could not pay customs due to the freezing of his bank accounts due to his divorce proceedings with actor Angelina Jolie. This prompted Anne to transmit €9000 to the scammers.
“I paid like a fool.” She stated, “He consistently dispelled my doubts.”
The number of requests for money increased when the fabricated Pitt informed Anne that he required funds to cover the cost of kidney cancer treatment. He sent her numerous AI-generated images of Brad Pitt in a hospital bed. “I looked those photos up on the internet but couldn’t find them, so I thought that meant he had taken those selfies just for me,” she said.
In the interim, Anne and her spouse divorced, and she was awarded €775,000, which was diverted to the scammers.
Anne, who is currently in remission from cancer, stated, “I convinced myself that I was potentially saving a man’s life.”
For more than a year, Anne’s daughter, now 22, attempted to persuade her mother to “see reason,” but she was unable to do so because of her mother’s excessive enthusiasm. “It hurt to see how naive she was,” she indicated.
When gossip magazines published images of Brad Pitt with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, which piqued Anne’s interest, the scammers sent her a fabricated news report in which the AI-generated anchor discussed Pitt’s “exclusive relationship with one special individual… who goes by the name of Anne.”
Anne found solace in the video briefly; however, she terminated the relationship when Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon, the actual Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon, made their relationship official in June 2024.
After fraudsters attempted to extract additional funds from her in the name of “Special FBI Agent John Smith,” Anne contacted the authorities. An investigation is currently underway.
According to the TF1 program, Anne was left destitute by the events and has attempted to take her own life on three separate occasions.
Anne wept as she asked, “Why was I selected to be hurt this way?” “These individuals deserve eternal damnation.” Those fraudsters must be located. I implore you to assist me in this endeavour.
However, in the YouTube interview on Tuesday, Anne rebuked TF1, claiming that it had omitted information regarding her repeated scepticism regarding whether she was conversing with the genuine Brad Pitt. She also suggested that anyone could have been deceived if presented with “words that you never heard from your husband.”
Anne stated that she was currently living with a friend. She is confined to a small room containing a few boxes, the extent of her resources.
Although the majority of online users disparaged Anne, a few supported her.
“I understand the comic effect but we’re talking about a woman in her 50s who got conned by deepfakes and AI which your parents and grandparents would be incapable to spot,” a widely circulated post on X stated.
Anne was described as a “whistleblower” in an op-ed published in the newspaper Libération. The article stated, “Life today is paved with cyber traps… and AI progress will only worsen this scenario.”
Salman Ahmad is known for his significant contributions to esteemed publications like the Times of India and the Express Tribune. Salman has carved a niche as a freelance journalist, combining thorough research with engaging reporting.
