Brad Pitt Reacts to $850K Catfishing Scandal
A representative for Brad Pitt addressed a troubling story of a French woman, who claimed she was victimized by a scammer impersonating the Oscar-winning actor. This scammer reportedly conned her out of $850,000 through a fabricated online relationship.
A 53-year-old woman named Anne revealed her distressing experience on the French news program Sept à huit. She shared how she was deceived into believing that she was involved in a romantic affair with Pitt. According to Anne, she transferred much of her life savings to someone she thought was the actor.
In a statement to E! News, Brad’s representative commented on the issue, stating, "It's awful that scammers take advantage of fans' strong connection with celebrities." The spokesperson emphasized the importance of not responding to unsolicited online communications, particularly from actors without verified social media accounts.
Brad Pitt does not maintain verified profiles on major social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). Unfortunately, this fact didn't deter Anne from believing she was in contact with him. She explained, "I'm not used to social media," noting her confusion at being reached out to initially by someone pretending to be Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt.
Anne later received messages from a person claiming to be Brad himself, who told her, "My mother told me a lot about you." Their correspondence continued. Anne grew fond of this individual, touched by love poems he had sent her. "There are so few men who write you this kind of thing," she reflected. She felt an instant connection, attributing to him a knack for engaging women romantically.
After revealing that she had received a divorce settlement from her ex-husband, Anne claimed the fraudster — that is, the fake Brad — fabricated a story about being locked out of his bank accounts post-divorce and needing financial help for supposed cancer treatments. He even sent her pictures as proof of his alleged hospitalization, which she would later recognize as AI-generated.
"It hurt me to do it," Anne confessed, adding that she wanted to believe she could potentially save a man's life. Her world started unraveling when she saw photographs of the real Brad appearing publicly with girlfriend Ines de Ramon, leading to her harsh realization: she had isolated herself and was tricked into parting with approximately $850,000.
On Sept à huit, Anne expressed her bewilderment, asking, "I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?" She declared vehemently, "I've never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell."
Earlier, SSP reported that Prince William made first public appearance since Kate Middleton's cancer remission announcement.
