A world-famous British painter says an online scammer is impersonating her — and she’s demanding Google unmask the culprit.
Cecily Brown, one of the most celebrated painters of the modern art world, wants Google to identify the person behind a fraudulent Gmail account she says has been posing as her and pitching bogus business opportunities to unsuspecting artists.
Brown, 57, filed a petition in Manhattan Supreme Court Sept. 9 seeking to force Google to turn over information that could identify the mystery scammer. She wants to sue whoever is behind the scheme, but first needs to know who they are.
The unknown user chose the address “[email protected],” per the filing, as “Aujourd’hui Rose” is the titled of one of Brown’s most well-known pieces displayed in in the National Gallery of Art’s
collection in Washington, DC. Her Instagram handle is “aujourdhuirose.”
Brown realized there was a scammer on the loose in July, when a fellow artist sent her a copy of an email from the mysterious address.
“I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the unwavering
support and encouragement you and other artists have shown me. Your engagement, likes, and
comments on my Instagram pages truly mean the world to me; your energy fuels my passion and
keeps me inspired every day,” the email allegedly read, per the filing.
The message then invited the recipient to join her for “an exciting professional opportunity.”
Brown sent the address a cease and desist days later, but received no response.
She addressed the situation on Instagram, telling her roughly 28,000 followers on July 28 that someone is sending emails “pretending to be me.”
Brown has created hundreds of artworks over the course of two decades. Her most valuable piece, “High Society,” sold for a whopping $9.81 million at a Sotheby’s New York Auction in 2025.
“I’m not inviting you to be in a group show and I’m really sorry if you’ve had an email from a scammer.”
Her attorneys and Google did not return requests for comment.
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