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Brad Pitt’s Spokesperson Responds to Catfishing Incident Involving French Woman
A spokesperson for Brad Pitt has addressed a concerning incident in which a French woman was deceived by a scammer impersonating the actor, resulting in a loss of €830,000 (approximately $854,940 or £700,000). The representative expressed deep empathy for the victim, emphasizing the troubling reality of how scammers exploit the bond between fans and celebrities.
In a statement obtained by E! News, the spokesperson remarked, “It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities. But this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”
The troubling story first came to light during a segment on the French news program Seven to Eight, which aired on TF1. The 53-year-old victim, identified as Anne, recounted her experience, believing she was engaged in a romantic relationship with Brad Pitt for over a year.
Anne revealed that the relationship began in February 2023 when she received a message from someone claiming to be Pitt’s mother. This message was followed by contact from an account that purported to be Pitt himself. Anne, who was married to a wealthy entrepreneur at the time, described her emotional involvement and the belief that they were in love.
During their lengthy communication, Anne was manipulated into believing that the impersonator was in dire need of financial help, citing frozen accounts due to divorce proceedings involving Angelina Jolie. The scammer provided her with AI-generated images, including what seemed to be a passport and hospital photos, as evidence of his claims relating to cancer treatment.
Despite the mounting evidence of deceit, Anne transferred substantial sums for supposed medical expenses. It wasn’t until she spotted a recent photograph of Pitt with his partner Inés de Ramón that she realized she had been the target of a scam.
Following this harrowing revelation, Anne took action by filing a police report about the fraud. After the segment aired, it quickly gained traction on social media, leading to widespread discussion and even jokes about gullibility—a reaction that prompted TF1 to remove the episode from its replay services due to the sensitive nature of the incident.
In light of the publicity surrounding the story, it was reported that Anne has been struggling with mental health issues, including severe depression, and had previously sought hospitalization for treatment.
Source
www.theguardian.com