In Inventing Anna, Netflix returns to the Anna Sorokin/Delvey affair. We disentangle the true from the false.
After The Tinder Scammer, Netflix is tackling another high-profile social media case this week. In Inventing Anna, the platform returns to the true story of Anna Sorokin, a young con artist who tricked all of New York high society by posing as the wealthy German heiress Anna Delvey. Filmed as a mini-series, the original program directed by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal…) is based on the article of the New YorkMagazine How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party Peoplewritten by Jessica Pressler.
From the beginning of the nine episodes of the series, Netflix warns: “This whole story is completely true except for the parts that were totally made up“. What set the tone, in a case where lying was one of Anna Sorokin’s main weapons. But then what is true in the series? We take stock.
Vivian Kent, invented but very inspired
Played by Anna Chlumsky, the character of Vivian Kent benefits from an assumed name, but is faithfully inspired by the journalist Jessica Pressler, at the origin of an article published in 2018 in the New YorkMagazine (Manhattan Magazine in the series). Whether it’s his pregnancy or his obsession with Anna Delvey, most of the facts mentioned remain true. They are explained in particular by its goal of rebuilding career, after the publication of an article dating from 2014 in which she paints the portrait of a high school student who would have earned 72 million dollars by investing in stock markets. An investigation which will later prove to be totally false, the latter later admitting that he had invented everything. The only notable difference compared to the series: Jessica Pressler explained that she had benefited from the support from his bosses.
Anna Delvey truly doomed
Regarding the character of Anna Sorokin / Delvey, played by Julia Garner in the series, Netflix played the loyalty card. It must be said that his story is already worthy of a white-collar drama, no need to add to it. Convicted of aggravated robbery by Manhattan Supreme Court, she faces twelve years in prison, and a fine of 24,000 dollars, plus 199,000 dollars in damages. She was, however, released on February 11, 2021, and found not guilty of the charges brought by her former friend Rachel DeLoache Williams.
Anna Sorokin’s ex-friend has for his part well written a book on the New York hustler, entitled My Friend Anna. She also strongly criticized the Netflix series at the time of its release, believing that it was a “half truth”. His involvement in the operation led by the FBI is however very real.
Some fictional facts
In addition to the name of Vivian Kent, that of Anna Sorokin’s lawyer Alan Reed has also been changed. It’s based on Anna’s real lawyer, Andy Lance, who supported her during her trial. Finally, when Vivian breaks into Anna’s parents’ home on the show, journalist Jessica Pressler clarified to vulnerability that if she had made it to Germany, she had not “certainly not trying to break into anyone’s house”.
