A author and photographer who was conned out of cash by the faux heiress Anna Delvey is suing Netflix over the way in which she was depicted in successful sequence primarily based on the scammer’s story.
Rachel DeLoache Williams is a former pal of Delvey, whose actual identify is Anna Sorokin, a German lady convicted of posing as a rich heiress to rip-off banks, accommodations and New York socialites.
A model of the story was advised within the Inventing Anna sequence, starring Julia Garner as Delvey and Katie Lowes as Williams, which premiered on Netflix in February 2022.
According to court docket paperwork obtained by Sky News US affiliate E! News, Williams is suing Netflix for false mild invasion of privateness and defamation for the way in which she was portrayed within the present, together with her lawyer saying it prompted “devastating damage”.
‘Greedy, snobbish and dishonest’
Williams, who advised her personal facet of the story in her ebook My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress, revealed in 2019, says scenes in Inventing Anna portrayed her in an inaccurate method, depicting her as “a greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative and opportunistic person”, in response to a lawsuit filed on Monday.
Her grievance additionally alleges that she was not “sponging off” Sorokin, who was convicted in 2019, by “accepting gifts of expensive clothes, jewellery and accessories” or “allowing her to pay for all of their drinks, meals, manicures and saunas”.
She additionally says scenes within the sequence during which Lowes’ character abandons Anna throughout a visit to Morocco, whereas she was “alone and in trouble”, had been unfaithful.
Read extra: Who is Anna Delvey?
Williams, who’s a former Vanity Fair picture editor, additionally denied that she was “lying to friends by concealing that she helped the police arrest”, as depicted within the sequence.
“In reality, she never did or said those things,” the lawsuit reads. “Thus, this action is based firmly on statements of fact which are demonstrably false and the attribution of statements that she never made.”
Inventing Anna was an enormous hit for Netflix. In the lawsuit, Williams mentioned the present’s recognition led to her turning into “the subject of thousands of such abusive messages” on-line.
Netflix ‘operating a conwoman’s PR’
In an article written when the present was launched, Williams mentioned: “Netflix isn’t just putting out a fictional story. It’s effectively running a conwoman’s PR – and putting money in her pocket.”
Williams’ lawyer, Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, advised E! News: “The reason why we had to file the case is because Netflix used Rachel’s real name and biographical details, and made her out to be a horrible person, which she is not.”
He added: “The devastating damage to her reputation could have been avoided if only Netflix had used a fictitious name and different details. Why didn’t they do this for her, when they did for so many other characters in the series?”
Mr Rufus-Isaacs instructed the rationale for this was that “she had chosen to play for the other team, ie, HBO”.
According to Williams’ web site, HBO and Lena Dunham had optioned her ebook My Friend Anna, however this feature expired and the undertaking is just not in growth.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, in addition to unspecified damages and an injunction to have the alleged defamatory materials involving Williams edited out of Inventing Anna.
Sky News has contacted Netflix and representatives for Sorokin for remark.
Source: information.sky.com”