While Netflix’s Inventing Anna rapidly became a cult favorite, Rachel DeLoache Williams, a.k.a. Anna’s true buddy, was not impressed. On Monday, August 29, 2022, a former Vanity Fair staffer and Sorokin buddy sued Netflix for defamation over her representation in the series. According to her, Netflix gave several characters in the series fictitious names but did not do the same for Williams and her protection. They utilized her true name and personal information, as well as an actor who resembled her in many respects. More on Williams’ comments and the famous Netflix series may be seen below.
Rachel DeLoache Williams’ Bio
Rachel DeLoache Williams is a writer, photographer, and editor from the United States. She was a Vanity Fair photo editor and producer before becoming famous as a former acquaintance of Anna Sorokin, a con artist who purported to be a German heiress and duped Williams out of $62,000. Following the swindle, she reported Sorokin to the New York City Authorities Department and the New York County District Attorney, which helped police find and arrest Sorokin in Los Angeles. She also testified in court against her. Rachel DeLoache Williams subsequently published an essay for Vanity Fair on her experiences with Sorokin in 2018, and she has since written for Time and Air Mail, as well as the book My Friend Anna: The True Story of New York City’s Fake Heiress.
Williams was also among the genuine persons represented in the true-life drama surrounding “false heiress” Anna Delvey, alias Anna Sorokin in Netflix’s Inventing Anna.
What exactly did she do?
Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former Vanity Fair employee, has launched a defamation case against Netflix for her representation in the blockbuster series Inventing Anna. According to her statement, the series depicted her as “a selfish, snobby, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative, and opportunistic person.”
Williams’ lawyer told Vanity Fair:
“We don’t question Netflix’s right to put a lying, sponging, cowardly snob in their series, but they should have given the character a false name and ensured that no one mistook the character for Rachel. Instead, her reputation has been ruined since spectators thought they were witnessing the genuine Rachel act.”
Netflix has not replied to a request for comment. In 2016, Rachel DeLoache Williams met Anna Sorokin and was tricked out of $62,000 for a six-night vacation to Morocco. She testified in court in 2019 with tears in her eyes about how she anticipated Sorokin to cover all of their costs and how the swindle and unforeseen debt caused her worry and anxiety.
Williams revealed her version of the tale in the book My Friend Anna, but she declined to participate in the Netflix series. Later, she accused the corporation of “public relations for a con woman.” Her complaint, filed on Monday, August 29, 2022, stated:
“As a consequence of Netflix’s misleading representation of her as a horrible and disgusting individual, Williams was exposed to a flood of online abuse, unfavorable in-person contacts, and derogatory characterizations in podcasts, among other things.”
Katie Lowes starred as Rachel DeLoache Williams in the nine-part Netflix series Inventing Anna, which led the English-language TV ratings for three weeks and received three Emmy nominations.
Anna’s Inventive Process
Shonda Rhimes conceived and produced Netflix’s, Inventing Anna. It has nine episodes and debuted on the streaming site on Friday, February 11, 2022. The series was inspired by Jessica Pressley’s piece “How Anna Delvey Fooled New York’s Party People” in New York magazine.
The official summary for the miniseries is as follows:
“In Inventing Anna, a journalist with a lot to prove explores the story of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary German heiress who captured the hearts – and stole their money – of New York’s social scene?”
Julia Garner, Anna Chlumsky, Katie Lowes, Laverne Cox, Alexis Floyd, Arian Moayed, Anders Holm, Anna Deavere Smith, Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney, and Jennifer Esposito feature in the series. The bulk of the episodes in the series were directed by David Frankel. In Inventing Anna, which is currently available on Netflix, you can learn more about Rachel DeLoache Williams and her connection with Anna Sorokin.