A French woman became entangled in an extraordinary deception after falling victim to someone pretending to be Brad Pitt online, resulting in her divorcing her spouse and losing substantial money.
A 53-year-old French citizen named Anne revealed on the television program Sept à huit that she received an Instagram message from someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother. According to Anne, the message stated, “My son needs a woman like you.” The following day, she reportedly received communication from someone posing as Pitt himself.
“We’re talking about Brad Pitt here and I was stunned,” she shared. “At first, I thought it was fake, but I didn’t really understand what was happening to me. After that, we got in touch every day and became buddies.”
Anne, naturally suspicious, requested verification of Pitt’s identity. She subsequently received what appeared to be passport documentation, artificially generated images, and messages from supposed associates of the actor.
“I thought he had taken these photos for me,” she recalled.

Their communication continued for eighteen months, during which Anne developed romantic feelings. The impersonator eventually proposed marriage, and Anne admitted she nearly accepted.
The situation took a darker turn when the scammer claimed to need money for cancer treatment, stating his assets were frozen during divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie.
Though initially hesitant, Anne became convinced after receiving a doctor’s correspondence and AI-created images showing Pitt in hospital settings.
Despite her daughter’s warnings about potential fraud, Anne dismissed these concerns, insisting her daughter would need to “apologize” once Pitt appeared in person. Driven by her emotional investment, she transferred $62,000 to a Turkish bank account.

Reality began to sink in when Anne spotted recent photographs of the Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood actor with his new romantic interest. Coincidentally, another scammer posing as an FBI agent approached her, offering assistance for $5,150. She fell for this deception as well.
The devastating outcome included Anne’s divorce from her husband, motivated by her believed relationship with Pitt, and total financial losses exceeding $850,000. The trauma led to three suicide attempts and eventual admission to a mental health facility for depression treatment.
“I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this?” Anne somberly shared. “I’ve never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell.”