We're guessing you've all heard about the woman scammed out of $850,000 by a fake Brad Pitt. To bring you up to speed, the news broke this week that a 53-year-old French woman named Anne lost close to $1 million after being fooled into thinking she was communicating with the Deadpool 2, Fight Club, and Bullet Train star.
It started when Anne received a message on Instagram in September 2023 from a woman claiming to be Pitt's mother. She played matchmaker and connected the woman with someone claiming to be the actor; they then used fake social media accounts and AI-generated selfies to convince Anne they were the real deal.
A year later, "Brad" broke the news that he needed urgent surgery to treat kidney cancer but didn't have any money for the life-saving operation because his bank accounts had been frozen by his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie.
Having been convinced by the images you see below, Anne transferred $850,000 to the scammers. It was only when she read tabloid reports about Pitt and his partner Inès de Ramon that she realised what had happened and French police have been investigating ever since.
Now, the real Brad Pitt has responded through his spokesperson. "It’s awful that scammers take advantage of the strong bond between fans and celebrities," he said. "But this is an important reminder not to respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence."
While the fake AI images have been a source of amusement for many, online harassment has reportedly led to Anne being hospitalized with severe depression.
Deadpool 2 introduced X-Force, but not quite in the way fans expected. The team was used solely for comedic effect, with each member killed in suitably gory ways before Wade Wilson headed into battle alongside Cable and Domino.
Among those who signed up for the Merc with the Mouth's team was Vanisher, an invisible character we learned was being played by Brad Pitt after the mutant got caught up in some electrical lines.
Reflecting on that, Pitt has said, "What was shooting that like? Pretty much, easiest thing I’ve ever done. [David Leitch is] an old friend of mine and he used to be...he was my stunt double starting with Fight Club and all the way up till about 2004. And then he went off and became a really good director, which is rare. Rare."
Pitt added, "Ryan called and like, 'Why not?'"
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