Vanity Fair Staffer In ‘Inventing Anna’ Sues Netflix For Defamation

Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former employee of Vanity Fair and a former friend of Anna Delvey, has filed a defamation suit against Netflix over her portrayal in the documentary series. [ad] The convic...

Smartphone with Netflix logo is placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken April 19, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo/File Photo

Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former employee of Vanity Fair and a former friend of Anna Delvey, has filed a defamation suit against Netflix over her portrayal in the documentary series.

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The convicted New York City con artist duped Williams, out of $62,000. Williams penned a book titled “My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress” and published an article with Vanity Fair about her interactions with Delvey, 31, prior to the publication of the May 2018 New York magazine story on which the play was based.

The documentary “Inventing Anna” follows Delvey, whose actual name is Anna Sorokin, as she connives to get by in New York City. In an effort to fund her lifestyle as a wannabe socialite, she falsely claims to be a German heiress, defrauding not only her acquaintances but also banks and companies.

Williams asserts that almost all of the details of her character in the Netflix series are made up.

The complaint, filed in federal court in Delaware, read “this action will show that Netflix made a deliberate decision for dramatic purposes to show Williams doing or saying things in the Series which portray her as a greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative and opportunistic person.”

According to the lawsuit, the program contains 16 different sets of false allegations regarding the former photo editor of Vanity Fair.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Williams said “Netflix purposely used my real name, and real aspects of my life, to create a totally false and defamatory characterization of me. The truth matters and portraying real people requires real responsibility. I am filing this lawsuit to hold Netflix accountable for its deliberate recklessness.”

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Oreoritse Tariemi

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