The extraordinary case of Anne Deneuchatel, a wealthy French divorcee who was scammed out of more than £700,000 by con artists posing as Brad Pitt, is once again in the spotlight. Earlier this year, her revelations about the romance scam made international headlines, and now she has gone a step further by publishing a book detailing her harrowing experience. Titled Je ne serai plus une proie (I Will No Longer Be a Prey), the memoir dives deep into how she fell for the elaborate hoax, the devastating financial and emotional consequences, and why she strangely feels some gratitude for the ordeal.

A Lonely Life Behind a Perfect Image

Anne Deneuchatel, 53, was not a naïve teenager but a sophisticated interior designer living a life of luxury in France. Yet behind the glossy exterior, her personal life was unraveling. She described her marriage to a millionaire businessman as suffocating and toxic. According to her, her husband was “selfish and manipulative” and treated her as nothing more than a trophy wife.

Her independence was stripped away, and she felt like she had no escape. “My husband had put me in a bind,” she told French newspaper Le Monde. “He said I should be content to be a trophy. I no longer had any independence. At one point, it seemed easier to help ‘Brad’ than to help myself.”

It was in this vulnerable state that she received a fateful message on Instagram from someone claiming to be Brad Pitt’s mother.

Enter “Brad Pitt” – A Digital Fairytale

The supposed introduction to Brad Pitt came via Telegram, where Anne began chatting with a man she believed was the Hollywood superstar. What started as casual exchanges quickly escalated into something more intense.

Anne described becoming “addicted” to their conversations, which provided her with the love, validation, and attention she lacked in her marriage. The imposter sent her romantic poems, confided about his struggles with alcohol, loneliness, and even his high-profile divorce from Angelina Jolie.

Soon, their exchanges felt like a whirlwind romance. “I detached myself from my usual personality to live out a total fantasy,” Anne explained. “I felt like I was fully myself.”

The scammer showered her with affection, calling her “my queen” and telling her, “You are all I have. I adore you. Baby, I love you so much.” He even proposed marriage, further deepening her emotional investment.

The Financial Trap Begins

Over the course of 14 months, from April 2023 to June 2024, Anne transferred nearly £700,000 to her online lover. At first, the requests seemed small and believable. She was told she needed to cover customs charges for expensive gifts he had sent her — gifts that never arrived.

Later, the situation escalated. “Brad” claimed he was suffering from kidney cancer and required life-saving treatment, including a transplant. Since his own accounts were allegedly frozen due to ongoing divorce proceedings, he needed her financial help.

Anne, by then completely immersed in the fantasy, complied. She paid hospital bills and even fines to a Hollywood studio, supposedly because Pitt’s illness delayed the filming of a blockbuster movie.

To bolster the illusion, the scammers sent her AI-generated images of Brad Pitt in a hospital bed. These crude but convincing visuals kept Anne believing she was genuinely in a relationship with the actor.

From Love to Collapse

The scam stretched on until the requests became impossible to ignore. A demand for £13,000 to cover a private jet trip was the breaking point. Emotionally drained, financially ruined, and socially isolated, Anne finally reported the matter to police.

Investigators traced the fraud to three men living in a villa in Nigeria. They had orchestrated the scam with remarkable persistence, maintaining daily and sometimes hourly contact with her for over a year.

Even after being exposed, the scammers sent her a final message pretending to be Pitt: “Love, my Telegram account has been hacked by imposters. I will now do everything in my power to ensure our safety. I am sincerely sorry if my lack of vigilance caused this situation.”

From Victim to Survivor

Anne’s ordeal left her devastated. She was penniless, targeted by online trolls, and suffering from deep depression. Earlier this year, she admitted herself into a psychiatric hospital to recover. But from the depths of despair, she has managed to rebuild her life.

Surprisingly, Anne says she is grateful for one thing: the scam pushed her to divorce her controlling husband. “It’s the only positive thing,” she admitted, reflecting on how the fake romance helped her break free from a real-life toxic relationship.

Her book, Je ne serai plus une proie, is her way of reclaiming her story. In it, she lays bare the emotional manipulation she endured and the psychological toll of the scam. More importantly, she hopes it will serve as a warning to others about the growing threat of AI-fueled romance scams.

The Rise of AI-Driven Love Scams

What makes Anne’s case particularly chilling is the use of artificial intelligence to impersonate one of the world’s most famous actors. Romance scams have long been a problem, but advances in AI technology have made them harder to detect. Scammers can now generate realistic photos, deepfake videos, and even mimic voices to lure unsuspecting victims into false relationships.

Interpol and cybersecurity experts have repeatedly warned of the surge in romance fraud cases, where lonely individuals are targeted online. These scams are not limited to the wealthy — anyone seeking companionship online can be vulnerable.

Anne’s story highlights the sophistication of modern fraud operations and the devastating human cost behind them.

Why Victims Stay Silent

Many victims of romance scams suffer in silence due to shame and embarrassment. They fear judgment from friends, family, and the public. Anne herself endured ridicule after her story became public, with trolls mocking her for believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt.

But as she points out, the manipulation is psychological and gradual. Victims are groomed into dependency, their emotions exploited until they lose the ability to see the red flags. “I was living in a total fantasy,” she admitted.

By speaking out, Anne hopes to reduce the stigma and encourage others to report such crimes without fear of humiliation.

Looking Forward

Today, Anne is no longer the woman who once felt powerless in her marriage or in her online relationship. Her new book is both a confession and a declaration of independence. By telling her story, she has transformed from a victim into a survivor determined to educate others.

Her experience underscores a powerful lesson: loneliness can make even the strongest people vulnerable, and technology can amplify deception like never before.

For Anne Deneuchatel, the price of that lesson was heartbreak, humiliation, and £700,000. Yet, in her own words, she has gained something priceless — freedom from her old life and the chance to rebuild on her own terms.