The Shocking True Story of Inventing Anna

The Shocking True Story of Inventing Anna

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at The Shocking True Story of Inventing Anna.

For this video, we’ll be looking at dramatic real life events that inspired the 2022 Netflix series.

Are you planning on watching Inventing Anna? Let us know in the comments.

Anna Delvey entered the New York party scene in 2013. She quickly made herself known at the right places with the right people. But did anyone really know her?

Armed with an ambiguous European accent and the trendiest wardrobe, Anna Delvey gave the impression that she was a German heiress with a trust fund and seemingly endless amount of cash. She casually doled out $100 bills to wait staff and hotel employees and got the reputation for being a good tipper. Anna hosted expensive dinners and lunches at New York’s swankiest restaurants and her guest lists were filled with CEOs, socialites, celebrities, artists, and anyone else deemed cool. She’d travel around the world in private jets, staying at the nicest hotels, attending the most exclusive events.

Anna saw herself as a savvy entrepreneur, building her business she named the “Anna Delvey Foundation” (ADF). She envisioned a Soho House-like private club, event space, and an art foundation all in one. Delvey met with potential investors, realtors, chefs, and architects whom she wanted (or needed) to be a part of her blossoming empire. Friends and acquaintances say Anna spent most of her time on her phone talking with lawyers and business associates.

In February 2017, Anna checked into the 11 Howard hotel, which would be her home for an extended amount of time. It was here that she met one of her few close friends Neff Davis, a concierge. Anna would treat Davis to spa days, lavish meals, and even expensive workout sessions with a personal trainer.

In May of that year, Anna invited her friend, Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel DeLoache Williams, along with Kacy Duke, her personal trainer/life coach, on a trip to Marrakech, Morocco. Davis was invited but could not take time off work. Though Rachel declined at first, Anna offered to pay all her expenses. Anna booked her party a $7,000/night villa at La Mamounia, one of the most luxurious resorts in the world. It sounds like a dream vacay, but it turned out to be the beginning of her downfall.

Not long into their trip, Anna was approached by the hotel management about not having a valid credit card on file, something that should’ve been in place before their stay. Anna brushed it off as an issue with her bank, but management wasn’t satisfied. Rachel Williams found herself in a tough position when Anna said to just put it on Williams’ tab for now. Williams felt pressured into “temporarily” putting the costs on her card, but Anna promised to reimburse all expenses. But in the end, Williams was left with a $62,000 bill.

After the disastrous trip abroad, Anna had returned to New York. But she still hadn’t paid Williams back. She was also evicted from the 11 Howard for failing to put a valid credit card on file and racking up a $30,000 bill. She relocated to the Beekman hotel, but was once again kicked out for not paying, this time after less than a month. And she only spent two days at the W New York - Downtown Hotel before history repeated itself and she essentially became homeless, staying on friends’ couches.

Anna was arrested for the first time in July 2017. On July 31, the New York Post published an article about fraud charges against a 26-year-old “wannabe socialite.” The Beekman, the W New York, and Le Parker Meridien filed charges against Anna for unpaid bills. She was charged with three counts of misdemeanor theft of services. The article also included her real name.

So, who was the real Anna Delvey? Well, Anna Sorokin was born in Russia in 1991, and moved to Germany with her family when she was 16. Her father wasn’t a billionaire, but a former truck driver who later opened a heating and cooling business. Anna graduated high school and moved to London in 2011, where she attended college before dropping out and going back to Germany. She then relocated to Paris and interned at fashion magazine Purple. It was here that she started to call herself Anna Delvey.

As Rachel Williams began her personal investigation into Anna Delvey, she learned that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had already started their own. She was suspected of falsifying documents to secure million dollar loans from financial institutions and repeatedly writing bad checks. This is how she funded her lavish life.

In October 2017, Williams helped authorities track down Anna’s whereabouts. Anna told her that she was at Passages, an upscale rehab center in Malibu. The two made a lunch date, and upon leaving the facility, Anna was arrested and extradited back to New York.

The trial became a spectacle of its own. Having hired a celebrity stylist, Anna showed up to hearings in designer clothes, much to the annoyance of the court, especially the judge. Instead of accepting a plea deal, Anna wanted to take her chances at trial. But on April 25, 2019, Anna Sorokin (aka Delvey) was tried and found guilty of eight charges, such as grand larceny in the second degree, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services. However, she wasn’t found guilty of stealing from Williams.

And on May 9th, along with a fine and restitution, she was sentenced to 4-12 years. Her jail time was split between Rikers Island, where she was held during the trial, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and Albion Correctional Facility.

Despite going to prison, Anna doesn’t appear to have any regrets or remorse for her actions. She was released on February 11, 2021 for good behavior. She immediately got back on social media and seemingly resumed her life unscathed. But a month later, Anna was taken back into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She was at risk of being deported back to Germany for overstaying her visa. However, Anna gave an interview to “20/20” while in ICE custody, which aired in October 2021, where she seemed to be in high spirits.
Rachel Williams’ Vanity Fair article came out on April, 13, 2018. In the article, she tells her side of the story, all about the Morocco trip, the investigation, her hand in Anna’s arrest, and the trial. A year later, Williams released her book “My Friend Anna.” She’s since sold the rights to Lena Dunham for an HBO film.

But, not to be confused with the HBO project, is Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix series “Inventing Anna” set to premiere on February 11, 2022, exactly one year after Anna’s release. However, we’re not sure if that was intentional. This series is based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine exposé on Anna,“How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People.”

Anna’s wild story may have made its way into the world of fiction, but nothing will ever be as scandalous as the truth.