Renowned British painter Cecily Brown has filed a lawsuit against Google, demanding the tech giant identify an individual impersonating her via a fraudulent Gmail account. The scammer has been contacting artists and soliciting them for bogus business opportunities, posing as Brown.
Brown, 57, filed a petition in Manhattan Supreme Court on September 9, seeking Google's assistance in uncovering the identity of the person behind the impersonation. The goal is to pursue legal action against the scammer, but identification is a prerequisite.
The fraudulent Gmail address used is “[email protected].” The name “Aujourd’hui Rose” is the title of one of Brown's notable works displayed in the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., and is also her Instagram handle. This familiarity with her artistic identity likely aids the scammer in deceiving potential victims.
Brown became aware of the scam in July when another artist shared an email received from the suspicious address. The email reportedly expressed gratitude for support and encouragement from fellow artists, mentioning engagement on her Instagram pages, and invited the recipient to an “exciting professional opportunity.”
Following the discovery, Brown sent a cease and desist letter to the Gmail address, but received no response. She subsequently addressed the situation on her Instagram account, which has approximately 28,000 followers, warning them about the impersonator.
"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," Brown stated on social media.
Cecily Brown has a distinguished career spanning two decades, creating hundreds of artworks. Her piece titled “High Society” achieved a record sale of $9.81 million at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2025.
Neither Brown's attorneys nor Google have returned requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.