It was the dream finalizing for the owner of an unidentified Nottingham gallery - an exhibition featuring the work of Hollywood actor-turned-artist Pierce Brosnan, who would also attend to meet fans.
But the gallery's owner has actually revealed how her income and track record were 'messed up' after the Pierce Brosnan with whom she invested months working out the exhibition of a lifetime turned out not to be the Bond star however a 'deepfake'.
Simone Simms has spoken for the first time about how she succumbed to the intricate artificial intelligence (AI) fraud which resulted in her losing her ₤ 30,000 Long Eaton gallery.
Ms Simms informed The Mail on Sunday she was 'villainised' after offering ₤ 20,000 worth of tickets to art enthusiasts with the pledge of meeting 71-year-old Brosnan, just to discover she had been deceived.
Scammers utilized AI to produce a persuading likeness of Mr Brosnan video-calling her from his ₤ 80million home in Hawaii.
Ms Simms recalled 'how real' he appeared on Zoom and how she 'squealed with enjoyment that he remained in my living space speaking to me' before taking the bait and sending the scammers ₤ 3,000 for 'shipping charges' for the art.
Her problem started when she contacted what she believed to be Mr Brosnan's genuine Facebook page at the start of 2023 and asked if he would display his paintings at her venue.
She then states she was called by what she believed was the star and around 200 messages were exchanged in between them on the Telegram messaging app, including a variety of voice notes talking about the exhibition.
The AI deepfake of 007 Brosnan that duped art gallery owner Simone Simms
Mrs Simms (pictured, left) came down with a scam that resulted in her losing her ₤ 30,000 art gallery
More than 20,000 tickets were offered with the pledge of conference 71-year-old Brosnan, who fraudsters had actually deepfaked to resemble he was calling Mrs Simms from his ₤ 80million house in Hawaii
A Pierce Brosnan painting. Mrs Simms exchanged 200 messages by means of Telegram with who she thought was the Bond star
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In one audio message, listened to by The Mail on Sunday, a voice with Mr Brosnan's distinctive Irish accent discusses the forthcoming exhibit.
'Simone, it's Pierce Brosnan here, how's it going? Just wished to apologise for not being able to establish a meeting,' the voice says.
'I've been swamped recently. Please let your group understand that I genuinely value the invitation to the art exhibition.
'I have high expectations it will be a huge success.'
In a subsequent video call, Mr Brosnan's image appeared on the screen however the noise was off. Messages from the individual on the other side of the phone claimed there was a technological problem.
Two of Ms Simms's good friends were also in the video conference, one of two Ms Simms believed she had had with Brosnan, and were both fooled, insisting she was not an 'idiot'.
One of them, artist Neil Adcock, said: 'It looked like his real face. He said his child had set it up for him. He said the noise problem was on our end. It carried on for a while.'
Pierce Brosnan at the Art Miami VIP opening in Miami Florida
After the phony occasion was booked, Mr Brosnan put out a declaration damning the gallery, insisting he 'would never ever charge for a meet and greet'
The genuine Pierce's artwork. Mrs Simms marketed ₤ 500 'satisfy and greet' tickets with the deepfake Mr Brosnan
Another painting the genuine Mr Brosnan. Mrs Simms states she wants the actor would acknowledge her as a victim instead of a villain
Others have actually reported being gotten in touch with by a phony Facebook account, claiming to be Mr Brosnan. Pictured: One of the real Mr Brosnan's paintings
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Meanwhile, after Ms Simms scheduled and marketed her show, the real Mr Brosnan saw an ad for the exhibit featuring his art online and issued a statement damning the gallery, insisting he 'would never ever charge for a fulfill and greet'.
His legal representatives sent her an instant cease-and-desist letter in November 2023, 3 days after she promoted the ₤ 500 VIP meet-and-greet tickets.
A 'frightened' Ms Simms realised her error and tearfully recalled: 'It was the worst time of my life and it tainted my credibility.
'Pierce harmed me by releasing the declaration. He ought to have done more research study before he did because he would realise I was just a fan connecting however he villainised me which's where it started to fail.
'I wish he would acknowledge me as a victim and not as a villain. He needs to inform the public about what really happened and set the tone.
'I don't hate him, since he is a victim too. People abused his image. If I understood it wasn't him, I would never ever have actually established the exhibition or offered the tickets.'
A picture by Piers Brosnan portraying a green area on the coast
Ms Simms refunded the ₤ 20,000 in tickets but was forced to shut her gallery in August 2024 after the incident left her reputation in tatters. Pictured: [smfsimple.com](https://www.smfsimple.com/ultimateportaldemo/index.php?action=profile
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How aI Deepfake of 007 Star Left Art Gallery Owner's World in Tatters
Adela Elmer edited this page 4 months ago