A single article turned into an entire TV series just speaks volumes, and that's why Inventing Anna triggers so much intrigue. The series, created by Shonda Rhimes, chronicles the story of a fake heiress (and notorious con artist), Anna Delvey, who was legally convicted of fraud in 2019 after deceiving her way into Manhattan's upper echelons.
Inventing Anna: Who is Anna Delvey?
From 2013 to 2017, Delvey pretended to be a glamorous German heiress, stealing more than $200,000 (£145k) from banks and luxury hotels. The reality that Delvey, real name Anna Sorokin, was the daughter of a Russian truck worker was revealed in a 2018 New York Times article.
The nine-episode limited series is based on Jessica Pressler's article, but it also included a segment on her courtroom fashion, which earned her the moniker "fashion antihero."
Fake It ‘Til You Make It
On Friday, the trailer for Netflix's Inventing Anna was released, and it features Julia Garner portraying Delvey's most infamous traits.
The plot for Inventing Anna follows the life of a fictional journalist, Vivian (Anna Chlumsky), who is seeking to uncover the truth about Delvey. While the outlandishness of Delvey's offenses attracts the media's attention, she gets access to the woman through prison visits.
"Her name is Anna Delvey or Anna Sorokin. No one's sure," Vivian says. "She's either a rich German heiress or she's flat broke. The charges are insane."
A lawyer then tells the press, "She is everything that is wrong with America right now."
And yet, through it all, the lies, scams, and deception, Garner’s Delvey defends herself, asserting that men have done far worse things, later proclaiming, "Anna Delvey is a masterpiece bitches.”
She’s cold, and does not appear to regret a single thing.
In real life, Delvey was released from prison in 2021 after serving less than four years for good behavior. She sold the rights to Inventing Anna to Netflix, but she will not profit personally. Delvey is required by New York law to utilize the proceeds from Netflix to recompense the victims of her crimes, according to ABC7.
Inventing Anna premieres on Netflix on Feb. 11. Watch the trailer below:
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