- A French woman said she was duped out of $855,000 by a fake Brad Pitt. Now, the actor is warning fans not to respond to unsolicited online outreach.
Brad Pitt hit out at scammers after a French woman was tricked into believing she was in a relationship with an AI-generated version of him. The woman, identified as Anne in an interview aired on France's TF1 channel, said she was scammed out of $850,000 during the fake relationship lasting more than a year.
In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Pitt told Entertainment Weekly: "It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities...but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."
Representatives for Pitt did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.
In an interview with French TV show Seven to Eight, the woman—who was going through a divorce at the time—said the hoax led her to transfer her life savings to the fake Pitt after the scammers pretended the actor needed money to pay for kidney treatment.
The scammers reportedly used fake social media accounts, WhatsApp messages, and AI image-generating software to create a fake version of the actor.
The woman said they convinced her that Pitt's bank accounts had been frozen amid his divorce proceedings with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, and he needed money.
Although she said she was suspicious of the messages at first, she was "not used to social media, and I didn't really understand what was happening to me," France24 reported.
Rise in celebrity AI scams
It's not the first time scammers have targeted Pitt's fans with elaborate online hoaxes. Last year, two Spanish victims were swindled out of €352,000 ($362,000) by scammers posing as the Hollywood actor.
Spanish police said the scammers had connected with the women via an internet page for fans and led them to believe “they had a sentimental relationship with him." Police later arrested five people in connection with the scam.
The widespread availability of AI technology has been a boon to romance scammers aiming to pose as celebrities.
Fellow actor Johnny Depp also addressed the increase in AI scams this month, warning fans after he appeared on a list of celebrities commonly misused by the scams.
In a post shared on Instagram, Depp said AI had made scams more believable.
"Sadly, it has been brought to my attention that online scammers are intensifying their efforts to target my fans and supporters," he wrote. "Today, AI can create the illusion of my face and voice. Scammers may look and sound just like the real me. But, neither I, nor my team, will ask you for money or your personal information."
TF1 forced to pull show after ridicule of woman
The French woman caught up in the latest scam has been the subject of intense backlash and mockery on social media since the interview went viral, leading TF1 to pull the program from its websites on Tuesday.
Social media users ridiculed the credibility of the images shared with the woman, which included dubious selfies showing the fake Pitt in a hospital bed.
An X account for Seven to Eight said on Tuesday: "Sept à Huit is a news program that deals neutrally with social issues. The report broadcast this Sunday sparked a wave of harassment against a witness. For the protection of victims, we have decided to remove it from our platforms."
Some companies ' social media accounts also attempted to join in on the joke.
In a now-deleted post, Netflix France wrote: "Four films to see with Brad Pitt (really) for free."
Toulouse Football Club also posted a now-deleted post that said: "Brad told us that he would be at the stadium on Wednesday" for the team's next match. The club later apologized for the post.
