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Charter yacht LEIGHT STAR makes Netflix debut on Inventing Anna

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By Steph Loseby   4 March 2022

The luxury 44m (144ft) superyacht LEIGHT STAR has wowed audiences in her debut appearance on the thrilling docudrama Inventing Anna , which has already proven a huge hit after ranking number one on Netflix’s top 10 ‘most-watched TV and film series'.

Inspired by a true story, the show follows Anna Sorokin, a Russian fraudster who fools New York's elite by posing as socialite Anna Delvey, a German heiress immaculately dressed in Balenciaga and Chanel, dripping in designer jewelry, handbags and expensive sunglasses.

A number of scenes take place on board the luxury yacht LEIGHT STAR, which has been renamed ‘Caprilla’ for her debut in this gripping nine-episode drama. 

These scenes are set around the beautiful Balearic island of Ibiza, providing the perfect cruising grounds for Anna and her friends to wine and dine, and – most importantly for the fake heiress – close business deals.

The real star of the show

Superyacht LEIGHT STAR is an elegant 44m motor yacht, originally built in 1984, with a further refit in 2009. Boasting a beautiful exterior and interior design by Douglas Sharp, the vessel offers flexible accommodation for up to 12 guests in 6 cabins, along with a wealth of convivial spaces primed for relaxation and entertainment.

The superyacht is often chartered by big brands, including the well-known fashion house GUESS, as well as featuring in numerous movies, music videos and advertising campaigns. Her base port is in the prestigious Marina Del Rey, near to Los Angeles, making her a prime choice for screen debuts.

How much does she cost to charter?

She currently has an asking price of $122,000 for a 7-day charter, although she is also available for day and weekend charters.

Who owns LEIGHT STAR?

The motor yacht belongs to Howard Leight, founder of Malibu Rocky Oaks winery and Howard Leight Industries. The Leight family originally bought the yacht as they were looking for an ideal place to park their helicopters.

As a pilot himself, Howard wanted to avoid landing in airports when doing business so he utilized the yacht as his helipad. Leight’s father purchased the yacht in 1996, with the vessel undergoing a complete refit in 2009, transforming it into a modern chic vessel, perfect for luxury yacht charter vacations . 

Why charter a superyacht?

A crewed superyacht offers privacy, exclusivity and above all, a luxurious way to discover some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Every superyacht boasts an array of amenities that make your vacation all the more lavish and unique. 

LEIGHT STAR provides an array of stylish amenities including a large steam room, an observation lounge and a well-equipped gym so that you can keep up with your fitness routine while at sea.

The sun deck is an opulent area that is perfect for an afternoon of sunbathing, sipping refreshing cocktails and enjoying a dip in the Jacuzzi.

Looking to rent a luxury yacht in Ibiza?

Situated among the three main islands of the Balearics including Mallorca and Menorca , Ibiza is promised to be one of the most dazzling islands to visit in the Mediterranean .

Offering gorgeous secluded bays best reached by luxury yacht, clear warm waters and spectacular views, the island is not one to miss. With 200km of coastline to explore, there are ample opportunities for swimming, socializing and relaxing on this luscious island.

To find out more about chartering in the region, check out our Ibiza  yacht charter guide for more information. For some inspiration, check out our sample itineraries handpicked by experts with in-depth knowledge of the region.

If you’d like to learn more about chartering motor yacht LEIGHT STAR, please contact a recommended yacht charter broker .

If you are interested in a yachting vacation in the waters surrounding Ibiza, take a look at all luxury yachts available to rent in the Balearics .

Instagram credits: @inventinganna

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• Anna Sorokin
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Real Locations That Anna Delvey Visits in 'Inventing Anna'

All the locations featured in "inventing anna".

Love her or hate her, you have to admit she has taste. Anna "Delvey" Sorokin has enthralled Netflix viewers in the recently released series based on her life posing as a German heiress, tricking New York City's elite into thinking she was worth $65 million. Sorokin conned her way into long stays at luxury hotels, vacations fit for a queen, incredible parties and lavish meals at some of the Big Apple's finest restaurants.  "Inventing Anna" is based on real-life events concerning Anna Sorokin and the people in her life. The Netflix series kept things authentic by filming mostly in New York City where Anna swindled her way to the top, but it also took us around the world. From the 11 Howard hotel in New York to a yacht in Ibiza to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, here are several locations featured in "Inventing Anna" that you can visit.

11 Howard (12 George)

Note: Some of this text may contain spoilers, and while we know that filming did take place at many of the actual locations, some of the hotels opted not to allow filming inside. Instead, crews made recreations or filmed in similar-looking locations.

11 Howard (called 12 George in the series) is the hotel where Anna stays the longest, three months, and meets the concierge Neff who then becomes her friend. During her stay, Anna racks up a total bill of $30,000.

While creating the illusion of wealth by tipping in hundreds, Anna conveniently forgets to give the hotel a credit card when she checks in but is removed from the hotel once she's caught. Visit 11 Howard

11 Howard (12 George) in the Show

Anna also dines frequently at the hotel's restaurant, Le Coucou, charging meals to her room along the way.

And we're not talking your typical hotel bar fare.

Visit Le Coucou

Le Coucou in the Show

After Anna is no longer allowed at 11 Howard, she moves her things over to The Mercer hotel, which she plans to move into after her notorious trip to Morroco.

Visit The Mercer

La Mamounia

Speaking of that infamous trip, why would you offer a trip to all of your friends if you couldn't pay for it? We have no idea, but that's what happened. Anna, her trainer Kacy, friend Rachel and a videographer landed at La Mamounia, an insanely beautiful luxury resort in Marrakech.

We see in many of the scenes that the hotel staff attempts to secure a working credit card from Anna, which they never receive. After Anna promises to sort out the money problem with her bank, friend Rachel puts down her company credit card after being assured that it will only be a hold until Anna pays. This results in Rachel having over $60,000 billed to her company Amex. Yikes! 

Visit La Mamounia

La Mamounia in the Show

The Beekman

When Anna returns from Morocco, she goes to The Beekman — claiming The Mercer is sold out — for a 20-night stay.

After not being able to pay her $11,518.59 bill, Anna gets locked out of her room. Visit The Beekman

Where to go after being kicked out of so many hotels? The W, of course.

Anna lasts two days until she realizes her scam isn't going to work. 

Visit The W

Forget hotels for a minute. Episode 2 gets Delvey out of New York and onto a yacht off the coast of Ibiza, Spain, with her boyfriend, Chase.

Did we mention she had good taste?

Visit Ibiza

Ibiza in the Show

281 Park Avenue South

In the series, you'll frequently see this beautiful building that Anna regularly visits, making plans to set up The Anna Delvey Foundation, an exclusive members-only arts club that mostly exists in her mind. This is the location that Anna attempts to take two very large loans (around $40 million) out against. 

The historic building built in 1892 now houses Fotografiska, a branch of the Swedish photography museum.

Visit Fotografiska

281 Park in the Show

Central Park

In the series, Anna's lawyer is shown hanging out with his daughter in Central Park when Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw approaches him about Anna's Case. 

The show depicts a very typical New York day in the park — a must for any visitor wanting a quintessential Manhattan experience.

Visit Central Park

Central Park in the Show

Le Parker Meridien (Thompson Central Park)

Anna dines at this hotel in the show and attempts a very cringeworthy "dine and dash" scenario.

Let's just say, it doesn't go well.  Visit Le Parker Meridien (Thompson Central Park)

Madison Square Park

Madison Square Park is where Neff confronts Rachel about visiting Anna in Jail.

That also doesn't go well, as we find out later in the series that Rachel falls victim to Anna's antics and is left with the previously mentioned $60,000 bill charged to her company Amex card.

Visit Madison Square Park

Madison Square Park in the Show

Storm King Art Center

Ah, yes, to be invited to a prestigious art fundraiser with the big players in the New York art scene certainly means you're on your way.

In the series, Anna attends an event as the guest of wealthy philanthropist Nora Radford at Storm King, a 500-acre outdoor museum located in Hudson Valley that features sculpture and site-specific commissions.

Visit Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center in the Show

Bank of America Tower

The lawyer Anna hires to help her secure millions of dollars in loans, Alan Reed (actual name Andy Lance), works inside the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. 

Visit the Bank of America Tower

Bank of America Tower in the Show

214 Lafayette

A surprise to no one, Anna Sorokin and Billy McFarland, the creator of the disastrous Fyre Festival, were roommates for a time.

In the series, Anna stays at his apartment/office located at 214 Lafayette, which is now an event space. 

Visit 214 Lafayette

214 Lafayette in the Show

Beauty & Essex

Beauty & Essex is a swanky restaurant that you enter through a pawn shop — how very New York! 

It's the setting for one of the show's scenes in which Reed and his wife inform their daughter that she'll be financially cut off if she doesn't decide either an academic or career path for her life. 

Visit Beauty & Essex

Beauty & Essex in the Show

Whitney Museum of American Art

Reed and Anna go to the Whitney where she dazzles him with her knowledge and whit.

In the series, he's contemplating making a purchase. While you can't actually buy works of art at the Whitney, you can certainly visit the vast collection.

Visit the Whitney

Whitney Museum of American Art in the Show

American Copper Building

Anna's personal trainer, Kacy, is a top-notch celebrity trainer.

In one scene, we see her at the very posh pool at the American Copper Buildings condo complex.

Visit American Copper Buildings

American Copper Building in the Show

Bergdorf Goodman

When Anna is staying with Nora in the series, Nora has Anna sign for her purchases at Bergdorf Goodman.

This is quite a costly mistake because Anna definitely treats herself to several designer items. 

Visit Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman in the Show

Chateau Marmont

When it becomes clear to Anna that she won't be able to run her con at any more hotels in New York City, she takes off to the famous Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, California.

In the series, this is where Anna drinks her body weight in alcohol, takes way too many pills and ultimately decides to go to rehab because we all know how luxurious those Hollywood rehab centers can be.

Visit Chateau Marmont

Chateau Marmont in the Show

Lincoln Center

Todd Spodek, Anna's after she's caught, and his wife attend a black-tie event at the Lincoln Center.

In addition to galas, the venue is the place to go for performing arts in the city, with several rotating programs to check out.

Visit the Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center in the Show

Toward the end of the series, Spodek and reporter Vivan Kent, who's investigating Anna's case throughout the show, sit together on a bench in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn.

They talk about Anna's trial and conviction and where they may have gone wrong after learning that her sentence could be up to 12 years. 

Visit Dumbo

Dumbo in the Show

Speaking of Kent, she's based on real-life journalist Jessica Pressler who lives in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood.

Visit Park Slope

Park Slope in the Show

The Hamptons

With all of New York's elite heading to the Hamptons each summer, you'd think it would be a prime location for Anna to visit.

But it's actually Kent who heads to the Hamptons to interview fashion mogul Talia Mallay. 

Visit the Hamptons

The Hamptons in the Show

New York City Criminal Court Building

This is a less fun stop on our "Inventing Anna" tour.

In real life, Anna Sorokin was charged in New York City Criminal Court (pictured) for eight convictions, including first-degree attempted grand larceny and theft of services, to name a few. The court is located in Manhattan's Civic Center district, but the courthouse filmed in the series is located in Lower Manhattan. 

Visit New York City Criminal Court Building

New York City Criminal Court Building in the Show

Rikers Island

Kent is seen visiting Anna several times at New York's notorious Rikers Island, a 413-acre island that's home to New York City's main jail. 

For those who really want to visit, you better do it fast, as the jail is closing to be replaced by a network of more modern jail facilities.

Visit Rikers Jail

Rikers Island in the Show

Everything you need to know about Anna Delvey's boyfriend Hunter Lee Soik

By Lucia Hawley | 2 years ago

Netflix's hottest new series Inventing Anna has sparked some serious curiosity from fans desperate to know the real-life identity of her boyfriend in the series dubbed "Chase Sikorski."

The captivating mini-series based on the real-life of fake heiress Anna Delvey (actually Sorokin) has reopened public fascination into the case. Each episode of the show has the disclaimer, "This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are totally made up."

Perhaps one of the most notable figures in the series is Delvey's partner, Sikorski. As the show continues to trend, many fans are wondering which real-life person inspired the character of Chase Sikorski... or if he even exists?

Well, Page Six has reported that tech entrepreneur Hunter Lee Soik is allegedly the real-life "Chase Sikorski."

Here is everything you need to know about him.

READ MORE: Woman gets revenge on her neighbour with a fake Valentine's Day card

Who is Chase Sikorski in Inventing Anna ?

In the mini-series, Sikorski is introduced to viewers in episode two. He plays the role of Delvey's tech entrepreneur boyfriend.

The fictionalised Sikorski is characterised as a power-hungry, clout-chasing business figure. As he is introduced to viewers he is shown delivering a Ted Talk about his app Wake, talking about the benefits of "cloud sourcing" dreams.

So, who is Hunter Lee Soik?

The show has a lot of people wondering about Delvey's alleged real ex-boyfriend - Hunter Lee Soik.

Soik was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in the United States. He is listed on social media as the founder and executive chairman of a company called the Enso group.

READ MORE: Kmart shoppers are obsessed with this $4 hair product

Similar to his depiction in Inventing Anna, Soik actually gave a TED Talk about an idea for a dream database app called Shadow.

In 2013, The New Yorker released a profile on Soik in which he was quoted saying: "What we're trying to do is build a community of dreamers, and if we do this right it will be here for a very long time."

So what happened to Hunter Lee Soik?

Soik's ambitious app never materialised.

The "tech entrepreneur" is currently listed as a prominent figure for the Enso group on LinkedIn which is "A Hong Kong-based Family Office and Venture Studio focused on investing and supporting frontier technology and breakthrough product experiences."

Despite reportedly working at "Enso" for over four years the link to the companies official website is dead.

How did Hunter Lee Soik and Anna Delvey meet?

While it is not officially confirmed how the pair met, an Instagram photo posted on Anna Delvey's personal account in 2014 links her to Soik.

Delvey shared a snap of her lying on a luxurious yacht in Ibiza and tagged "Hunter Lee Soik" in the caption.

A source told Page Six , "Hunter is the person who got her into the scene. He is a social person globally. No one knew what he did, but he was always giving advice on how to climb the corporate ladder."

The New York Magazine article that inspired the Inventing Anna series described Delvey's unnamed lover as a guy "on the TED Talks circuit who'd been profiled in The New Yorker " that she "ran around with" in 2015 and 2016.

Earlier this week, Delvey posted an Instagram story writing, "Want to know who the real 'Chase' is? The media outlet with the highest bid gets the exclusive. Bid starts at 10K. DM to bid."

READ MORE: Linda Evangelista's first photo shoot since botched surgery

Where is Hunter Lee Soik now?

Soik maintains a colourful LinkedIn profile detailing over 94 work "experiences."

Soik's LinkedIn biography says that he has spent the past five years working with the Government of Dubai, "building deep-tech ecosystems and shaping tech regulation and policy."

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The Scammer-Chic Costumes in Inventing Anna Tell Their Own Story

By Christian Allaire

In the second episode of Shonda Rhimes’s new Netflix series, Inventing Anna —which follows the rise and fall of Anna Delvey, New York’s most infamous scammer—Anna (portrayed by Julia Garner) spontaneously travels to Ibiza to board a friend’s yacht for a few days. She arrives on the ginormous boat wearing a fitted red Alexander McQueen dress with a flouncy hemline. The look is finished off with a silk scarf tied around her head like a babushka, gigantic sunglasses, and a Dior tote with her name embroidered onto it. The extremely glamorous outfit shows what you can buy with fraudulently-acquired cash—provided you can swindle enough New Yorkers, of course. 

By now, you’ve likely heard the real-life story of Anna Delvey (née Anna Sorokin), who was convicted in 2019 on charges of attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services. From 2013 to 2017, she tricked Manhattan’s elite into thinking she was a German heiress. She defrauded banks, hotels, and acquaintances, all while ostensibly raising funds for The Anna Delvey Foundation, the contemporary art center of her dreams. Huge tabs were left unpaid in the process; money borrowed from friends was never paid back. (Till this day, Delvey still remains in immigration limbo , and is currently in custody with ICE. She completed her criminal sentence last year, but is now awaiting deportation back to Germany.)

If you’re posing as a German heiress, you have to dress the part. Costume designers Lyn Paolo and Laura Frecon began their research by taking a deep-dive into Delvey’s Instagram account , where she often posted selfies of her designer outfits, as well as reading journalist Jessica Pressler’s viral profile of her. “We went down a rabbit hole—googling and stalking friends who were tagged—and then we tried to match every one of her looks as best we could,” Frecon says. “We even recreated a little black bomber jacket that was mentioned [in the article] and that was in a lot of her Instagram photos too.”

Delvey’s fashion choices evolve throughout the show to accentuate her character arch. As a lover of all things fashion and New York street style, Anna’s style begins as youthful and graphic. She sports a loud floral-print Dolce suit while browsing an art gallery in one early scene. But her wardrobe slowly begins to change as Delvey infiltrates a more glamorous, high-class circle. “Her style becomes more curated and conservative, so that she can be taken seriously in that business world,” Paolo says. They chose to dress her in more discreet clothes from labels like Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Givenchy, Prada, Gucci, Valentino, and Celine. The project was a dream job for both the costumers and Garner alike, who got to play dress up every single day. “She would come in, and we would have 10 racks of clothes, and she would just be beaming,” Paolo says. “She would want to try everything on!”

By Tatiana Dias

By Mia Barzilay Freund

By Hannah Coates

For the more mature, secondary characters in Delvey’s circle, meanwhile, the costumers took great inspiration from New York’s “ladies who lunch”. “Everything is curated. The jewelry matches the jacket that matches the nails,” Paolo says. Though any character, no matter how big or small, had plenty of clothing options. “People were basically throwing things at us,” Paolo says. “We started reaching out to our friends in the fashion world, and asking them to give us pieces that weren’t out yet. We wanted to be ahead of the curve.” 

They added that the many discussions with Pressler, and the constant re-reading of her bombshell story, were pivotal to understanding what just may have been in Anna’s real-life wardrobe. “Jessica was invaluable to the research—even down to what Anna wore when she was arrested (Chanel flats),” Paolo says. “We did so much research just trying to figure out who she was. But I think that’s the whole point of the show—nobody really knows who Anna is.”

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The Real Stories Behind the Characters in Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna’

In ‘Inventing Anna,’ fact and fiction have a way of blending together. So what’s real and what’s not? Let’s break it down, character by character.

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In Inventing Anna , Netflix’s new Shonda Rhimes–produced series that delves into the exploits of fake-German-heiress-turned-real-con-artist Anna Delvey (real name: Anna Sorokin), fact and fiction have a way of blending together. Every episode begins with a coy disclaimer: “This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are totally made up.” And indeed, some elements of the show—from the VIP treatment at Rikers to the realities of Scriberia —were either exaggerated or outright invented.

But much of what is depicted in Inventing Anna is, in fact, true to Sorokin’s story, in which the Russian-born, German-raised Sorokin swindled banks, hotels, and myriad moneyed acquaintances out of hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate a jet-setting lifestyle for several years before she was ultimately arrested in 2017. These depictions are especially accurate with the people who Sorokin-as-Delvey encounters—that is, charms, defrauds, allegedly defrauds, wines, dines, scandalizes, etc.—along the way. The journalist Jessica Pressler’s original 2018 story for New York magazine, “ How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People ,” mentioned many of these real-life figures by name. Others, however, were not named, an arrangement that is explained in Inventing Anna as a way of Pressler (whose character is renamed Vivian Kent and played by Anna Chlumsky) bartering for additional access and sourcing assistance. Some of these figures are portrayed in Inventing Anna . Others appear on screen for the first time, with the series focusing on Chlumsky’s Kent, as well.

Who were the real-life people who found their way into the Anna Delvey saga? And how do their appearances in Inventing Anna stack up against their descriptions in Pressler’s reporting? Let’s break it down.

Vivian Kent, reporter for Manhattan magazine

How it goes down in Inventing Anna :

Much of the Netflix series focuses on Kent (Chlumsky) as she reports on Sorokin. In the show, she fixates on a professional embarrassment from several years earlier, in which she was assigned a story on a high school student who had purportedly made millions in the stock market. Shortly after the piece went to print, the student admitted that he made the entire thing up, a sufficiently high-profile media bungling that cost Kent a glitzy job offer. Inventing Anna presents Kent as desperate to pull off a piece that will salvage her journalistic reputation. And she has a very specific deadline: Kent is pregnant during the entirety of the reporting process and dots the last i’s immediately after having her water break on her editor’s shoes.

How it really happened:

The real Pressler is indeed a writer, though she works for New York magazine and not its fictional twin. And she was duped by a teenager, prompting an apology by the magazine after the duplicity went public (more on that below). Pressler’s redemption arc, however, is exaggerated. For one, in the interim between that story and her Sorokin piece, Pressler wrote “ The Hustlers at Scores ”—another hit longform story, which was adapted into the 2019 film Hustlers .

For another, though Pressler was pregnant while working on the Sorokin story, she gave birth “ two weeks or so ” after the piece was finished, as she told Vulture , and was far from conducting a final source call between labor howls. Pressler added that although she gave Sorokin clothing for the trial, as depicted in Inventing Anna , she did not cover the proceedings.

Donovan Lamb, the high school student who duped Kent

In the series, we learn that a student named Donovan Lamb tricked Kent into publishing a piece about the nonexistent millions he made in the stock market. Kent says that she had a feeling something was off with Lamb’s account and asked her editor to check it out—only for the editor to publish the story as originally written and then lay the blame at Kent’s feet.

In December 2014, Pressler wrote a dishy story in New York about the blockbuster stock market success of Mohammed Islam, then a senior at Stuyvesant High School and a member of the school’s investment club. Over a $400 snack of apple juice and caviar, Pressler reported :

Mo got into trading oil and gold, and his bank account grew. Though he is shy about the $72 million number, he confirmed his net worth is in the “high eight figures.” More than enough to rent an apartment in Manhattan—though his parents won’t let him live in it until he turns 18—and acquire a BMW, which he can’t drive because he doesn’t yet have a license. Thus, it falls to his father to drive him past Tudor Jones’s Greenwich house for inspiration. “It’s because he is who he is that made me who I am today,” Mo said.

The day after the story was published, Islam and the friends he’d taken along to sample caviar with Pressler came clean to the New York Observer , fessing up to the fact that Islam’s stock market gains were entirely fictional, as was the idea of him renting a Manhattan apartment. For their part, the kids did seem somewhat chastened by the debacle, and the Observer reported that the teens had hired a crisis PR firm. Islam told the Obersver that a New York fact checker had indeed attempted to back up Pressler’s reporting; Islam shared a falsified bank document.

New York issued an apology: “ We were duped ,” it read in part. Shortly thereafter, Bloomberg News rescinded a job offer to Pressler to join its investigative unit.

A LinkedIn page under Islam’s name that lists attendance at Stuvesant High from 2011 to 2015 and involvement in the Stuyvesant Investment Club says that Islam currently works at Saphka LLC, an Albany-registered corporation with little other publicly discernible information.

Chase Sikorski, Sorokin’s boyfriend

How it goes in Inventing Anna :

Sikorski is one of the many fictionalized names in the series that does not appear as a pseudonym in Pressler’s piece. Unlike in the original story, Sorokin’s boyfriend is a major character in the show, joining her through much of her early New York–based grift, including a too-long stay with a wealthy friend-cum-benefactor and the gatecrashing of a yacht in Ibiza, where Sikorski attempted to secure funding for his dream-focused app, Wake.

Sorokin’s boyfriend makes only a fleeting appearance in Pressler’s story—a fact explained in Inventing Anna by Kent bargaining with him to keep his name and other details out of print in exchange for more info on Sorokin and his history with her. Here is the boyfriend’s complete appearance in the 2018 New York piece:

The CEO met Anna through the boyfriend she was running around with for a while, a futurist on the TED Talks circuit who’d been profiled in The New Yorker . For about two years, they’d been kind of like a team, showing up in places frequented by the itinerant wealthy, living out of fancy hotels and hosting sceney dinners where the Futurist talked up his app and Delvey spoke of the private club she wanted to open once she turned 25 and came into her trust fund. Then it was 2016. The Futurist, whose app never materialized, moved to the Emirates, and Anna came to New York on her own.

The identity of Sorokin’s boyfriend was the subject of much fixation when Pressler’s story initially went to press. Consensus has circled around one name in particular: Hunter Lee Soik, who was indeed part of the TED Talks circuit and whose—ahem—dream-focused app, called Shadow, was written up in The New Yorker in 2013 . “What do women in Stockholm dream about in the wintertime?” he asked in that piece. Sadly, we still do not know; Shadow never came to fruition.

Kacy Duke, Sorokin’s personal trainer and friend

Duke, played by a scene-stealing Laverne Cox, is portrayed as a celebrity personal trainer whom Sorokin hires to train her and her friends. We see her doubling as a life coach to Sorokin and her regular A-list clientele; this culminates in Duke bringing a client dubbed “Nicole”—who is apparently famous enough that the reporter Kent is shocked to hear she was there—along to an intervention for Sorokin in a restaurant.

That intervention followed a disastrous trip to Morocco, when the would-be heiress’s webs of deceit and debt finally caught up with her at a luxury hotel—leaving her friend Rachel DeLoache Williams, who is also at the intervention, on the hook for the bill. It’s Duke whom a distraught Sorokin is shown calling, pleading for help to buy a plane ticket home from Morocco—and then specifying that she’d prefer first class.

Duke is a real trainer based in New York City who was the founding creative director of Equinox; she has bragged about getting Denzel Washington—one of her clients, naturally—to try a 10-day lemonade-only diet , as well as helping Monica Lewinsky “secretly slim down for her grand jury appearances without becoming paparazzi fodder in a health club,” according to a story in The Washington Post . Duke has also been said to work with Gwen Stefani, Bruce Willis, Julianne Moore, Mary J. Blige, and Kirsten Dunst, among others .

While Duke’s personal website now includes a tab dedicated to Inventing Anna , she was not always keen to go public with her involvement with Sorokin. As with Sorokin’s boyfriend, Duke is not mentioned by name in Pressler’s story, which Inventing Anna once again explains by showing Kent make a deal in exchange for background intel (in Kent’s case, whilst in the throes of labor). Pressler wrote that “the trainer,” as she was identified, “​​had taken a motherly interest” in Sorokin:

“ I know a lot of trust-fund babies, and I was impressed that Anna had something that she wanted to do, instead of, you know, living like a Kardashian,” said the trainer. Plus, she said, Anna seemed lonely.

As in Inventing Anna , Pressler wrote that it was ultimately Duke—whom Pressler described as “a personal trainer–slash–life coach she’d found online, a svelte, ageless Oprah-esque figure”—who helped bail Sorokin out of the mess in Morocco. In the piece, the trainer recounted purchasing Sorokin’s ticket back to New York, at which point Sorokin “snuffled,” “‘Can you get me first class?’”

Pressler also described the intervention with Sorokin, the trainer, and Williams, though it’s unclear whether, like in Inventing Anna , the trainer brought along a celebrity client, whom we see in the series gulping rosé and correctly identifying the grift at hand, even as the others remain in denial.

Rachel DeLoache Williams, Sorokin’s friend

Kent tries, and fails, to interview Williams, whom we see eagerly tumble into Sorokin’s glitzy life of bottle service, infrared saunas, and sessions with Duke before things start to go awry. It turns out that Williams had a reason for staying mum: She was working on her own story about her former friendship with Sorokin—and the trip to Morocco that left her with bills totaling more than $62,000—for Vanity Fair , where she had been on staff, which is eventually expanded into a book called My Friend Anna . (Duke, with her high-flying connections, gets her hands on a galley.)

In the show, Williams is questioned by Sorokin’s defense attorney during her trial, weeping as she declares, “This is the most traumatic experience I’ve ever been through.”

How it really went:

Williams did indeed write about her experience in Morocco with Sorokin, Duke, and a photographer, “ whom, at a dinner the week before our trip, Anna had asked to come as a documentarian .” (Chris Lowell, who played that documentarian in Inventing Anna , said that he thinks the character is “ a composite of a couple of different characters, some of which were or might’ve been in Morocco during this time .”) The courtroom tears depicted in the series were the real deal .

Last week, Williams again wrote about her experience, in an excerpt of her (real) book’s new afterword . Williams, who says she separately optioned her story to HBO, bristled at her depiction in Inventing Anna. “Because I became an author, I’m asked on occasion whether I’m grateful for what happened between Anna and me,” she wrote. “My answer is of course not.”

Neff Davis, Sorokin’s friend

Davis appears as the concierge at the 12 George hotel, the stand-in for the real 11 Howard, and is portrayed as Sorokin’s one ride-or-die ally, as well as the only person Sorokin made whole, apparently out of loyalty. Davis solidifies her friendship with Sorokin when she helps her evade the skeevy advances of a banker given the name of David Morrison. Morrison’s firm, Fortress Investment Group, was courted by Sorokin to financially back her doomed Anna Delvey Foundation.

Davis is the central figure in Pressler’s story, beginning with the lede:

It started with money, as it so often does in New York. A crisp $100 bill slipped across the smooth surface of the mid-century-inspired concierge desk at 11 Howard, the sleek new boutique hotel in Soho. Looking up, Neffatari Davis, the 25-year-old concierge, who goes by “Neff,” was surprised to see the cash had come from a young woman who seemed to be around her age. She had a heart-shaped face and pouty lips surrounded by a wild tangle of red hair, her eyes framed by incongruously chunky black glasses that Neff, an aspiring cinematographer with an eye for detail, identified as Céline.

“Anna is my friend and always will be,” Davis, who Inventing Anna ’s closing credits describe as having moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career, told Bustle this week . “We have blocked and unblocked each other, cried, and laughed.” Davis was hired by Shondaland to work as a consultant on Inventing Anna .

During Sorokin’s trial, texts from a Fortress banker named Dennis Onabajo caused a minor sensation: He wrote to Sorokin that he found her “sexy” and “insanely beautiful,” and once asked to “come upstairs” at 11 Howard. Sorokin declined .

Todd Spodek, Sorokin’s attorney

Spodek is presented as being out of his depth with Sorokin, beginning with him bitterly joking that his office is located in a WeWork. “My last big client was a woman who claimed she was the lovechild of a president,” he gripes to his wife in the first episode. Spodek develops a love-hate relationship with his client, and does about as well as could be expected given all the, well, crimes.

He faces off against assistant district attorney Catherine McCaw, who brags in the show that she has seven people on the case and 11,000 pages of discovery to sort through, which she suggests might be too much for Spodek’s two-person practice. “​​Todd, have you thought about helping her get a different attorney?” McCaw asks.

First things first: Spodek really did represent a woman accused of stalking Alec Baldwin in 2013, as mentioned in Inventing Anna ’s seventh episode. “At the hearing,” reported the New York Daily News , “Assistant District Attorney Zachary Stendig asked Spodek to keep his wacky blond client under control.” Not for the last time, as it would happen!

The show’s portrayal of Spodek’s no-nonsense defense of Sorokin, occasionally against her wishes, seems to match up with reality. In 2017, shortly after Sorokin was arrested, Spodek offered his thoughts on a dubiously decreed “Love Your Lawyer Day” : “Everyone needs a little love, however, ‘Love your Lawyer Day’ seems a little bit of stretch,” he said. “However, I think an ‘Appreciate Your Lawyer’s Efforts, Even Though Everything May Not Go Exactly How You Wish Day’ could be appropriate. In certain instances, particularly when you are faced with picking the best of the worst options, this is hard for people to remember.”

The real Spodek has a cameo in Inventing Anna : During his television counterpart’s interrogation of Williams, he appears in the courtroom pews .

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The costume designers of ‘Inventing Anna’ on how they recreated Anna Delvey’s scammer chic looks

By Christian Allaire

25 February 2022

The project was a dream job for both the costumers and actress Julia Garner alike, who got to play dress up every single day

In the second episode of Shonda Rhimes’ new Netflix series , Inventing Anna – which follows the rise and fall of Anna Delvey, New York’s most infamous scammer–Anna (portrayed by Julia Garner) spontaneously travels to Ibiza to board a friend’s yacht for a few days. She arrives on the ginormous boat wearing a fitted red Alexander McQueen dress with a flouncy hemline. The look is finished off with a silk scarf tied around her head like a babushka, gigantic sunglasses, and a Dior tote with her name embroidered onto it. The extremely glamorous outfit shows what you can buy with fraudulently-acquired cash – provided you can swindle enough New Yorkers, of course.

By now, you’ve likely heard the real-life story of Anna Delvey (née Anna Sorokin), who was convicted in 2019 on charges of attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services. From 2013 to 2017, she tricked Manhattan’s elite into thinking she was a German heiress. She defrauded banks, hotels, and acquaintances, all while ostensibly raising funds for The Anna Delvey Foundation, the contemporary art centre of her dreams. Huge tabs were left unpaid in the process; money borrowed from friends was never paid back. (To this day, Delvey still remains in immigration limbo, and is currently in custody with ICE. She completed her criminal sentence last year, but is now awaiting deportation back to Germany.)

If you’re posing as a German heiress, you have to dress the part. Costume designers Lyn Paolo and Laura Frecon began their research by taking a deep-dive into Delvey’s  Instagram account , where she often posted selfies of her designer outfits, as well as reading journalist Jessica Pressler’s viral profile of her. “We went down a rabbit hole – googling and stalking friends who were tagged – and then we tried to match every one of her looks as best we could,” Frecon says. “We even recreated a little black bomber jacket that was mentioned [in the article] and that was in a lot of her Instagram photos too.”

Delvey’s fashion choices evolve throughout the show to accentuate her character arc. As a lover of all things fashion and New York street style, Anna’s style begins as youthful and graphic. She sports a loud floral-print Dolce suit while browsing an art gallery in one early scene. But her wardrobe slowly begins to change as Delvey infiltrates a more glamorous, high-class circle. “Her style becomes more curated and conservative, so that she can be taken seriously in that business world,” Paolo says. They chose to dress her in more discreet clothes from labels like Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Givenchy, Prada, Gucci, Valentino, and Celine. The project was a dream job for both the costumers and Garner alike, who got to play dress up every single day. “She would come in, and we would have 10 racks of clothes, and she would just be beaming,” Paolo says. “She would want to try everything on!”

For the more mature, secondary characters in Delvey’s circle, meanwhile, the costumers took great inspiration from New York’s “ladies who lunch”. “Everything is curated. The jewellery matches the jacket that matches the nails,” Paolo says. Though any character, no matter how big or small, had plenty of clothing options. “People were basically throwing things at us,” Paolo says. “We started reaching out to our friends in the fashion world, and asking them to give us pieces that weren’t out yet. We wanted to be ahead of the curve.”

They added that the many discussions with Pressler, and the constant re-reading of her bombshell story, were pivotal to understanding what just may have been in Anna’s real-life wardrobe. “Jessica was invaluable to the research–even down to what Anna wore when she was arrested (Chanel flats),” Paolo says. “We did so much research just trying to figure out who she was. But I think that’s the whole point of the show–nobody really knows who Anna is.”

This story was first published on Vogue.co.uk.

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The Devil Wore Anna

• Episode aired Feb 11, 2022

From a yacht off Ibiza to a suite at Paris Fashion Week, Anna's glamorous lifestyle comes into focus as her former friends dish out details to Vivian. From a yacht off Ibiza to a suite at Paris Fashion Week, Anna's glamorous lifestyle comes into focus as her former friends dish out details to Vivian. From a yacht off Ibiza to a suite at Paris Fashion Week, Anna's glamorous lifestyle comes into focus as her former friends dish out details to Vivian.

• Shonda Rhimes
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• Anna Chlumsky
• Julia Garner
• Arian Moayed
• 2 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews

• Vivian Kent

• Anna Delvey

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• Trivia Several cast members were on other Shondaland productions: Katie Lowes (Rachel), Jeff Perry (Lou). Kate Burton (Nora Radford), and Joshua Malina (Henrick Knight) were on Scandal. Marika Dominczyk (Talia Mallay) was on Grey's Anatomy. Anna Deavere Smith (Maud) was on For The People.
• Goofs When Todd and Anna are in the Chelsea apartment, talking on the phone with Val, it is clearly the evening in New York. However, Val, who is in Ibiza, is talking to them in broad daylight. Given the 6-hour difference, it would have been late night and pitch dark in Ibiza if it's in the evening in New York.
• Soundtracks Me Gusta written by Anitta performed by Anitta feat Cardi B and Mike Towers

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• golfcartdan
• Feb 13, 2022
• February 11, 2022 (United States)
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• Runtime 1 hour 8 minutes
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The real story of ‘Inventing Anna,’ Netflix’s show about the fake heiress who scammed the rich and powerful

Each episode of Shonda Rhimes’s new Netflix limited series “ Inventing Anna ” begins with a variation of the same disclaimer: “This is an entirely true story, except for the parts that are completely made up.”

That metaphorical fine print is a nod to artistic license, but it also alludes to the mystery surrounding Anna Sorokin, who for years pretended to be a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey while navigating Manhattan’s elite social and business circles. Her lavish lifestyle came undone in 2018, when she was charged with multiple counts of grand larceny and theft of services after failing to pay hefty bills at restaurants and a pair of luxury downtown hotels. Sorokin was awaiting trial in May 2018 when New York magazine detailed her extravagant exploits in a riveting feature by Jessica Pressler .

Amid the juicy details, Pressler’s deeply reported piece grappled with the cultural implications of Sorokin’s alleged cons and the motivations of those who fell for them. Within a month, the article — which the magazine later reported to be its third most-read story that year — was optioned by Rhimes’s production company, Shondaland.

Pressler’s reporting is infused into “Inventing Anna,” which stars Julia Garner as the titular grifter and incorporates aspects of the writer’s life through its protagonist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky). Critics are divided on whether the series is as fascinating as its source material, but the series is unequivocally loyal to it, even as it adds dramatic flourish.

Here’s a look at how the show handled Sorokin’s biggest scams — and what happened in real life.

Luxe hotel stays

Sorokin spent months at 11 Howard, a new luxury hotel in Soho, where she befriended Neff Davis, an employee who recalled Sorokin regularly passing out $100 tips to her and other staffers. Davis told Pressler that the purportedly wealthy guest, who stayed in a suite valued at around $400 per night, “ran that place.”

Sorokin and Davis began hanging out outside of the hotel with Sorokin’s wealthy and well-connected company; at one dinner Davis attended, Martin Shkreli — the hedge fund manager who would later be convicted of securities fraud — played “Tha Carter V,” Lil Wayne’s then-unreleased 12th album, which he had controversially acquired. At another dinner, Davis found herself sitting next to Macaulay Culkin.

Anna Sorokin conned her way into Manhattan’s wealthy elite. Then the truth emerged.

In “Inventing Anna,” 11 Howard becomes 12 George, but most of the plot details check out. The show, which features Alexis Floyd as Neff, skips one detail Davis shared with Pressler: Sorokin reportedly got mad at her for tweeting about Shkreli’s impromptu listening party. (Incidentally, Shkreli isn’t the only other convicted fraudster who pops up in the series: The show also offers a glimpse of her very brief association with Billy McFarland, organizer of the doomed Fyre Festival .)

Davis told Pressler that Sorokin routinely waved off any suggestion that she pay for their lavish dinners or celebrity trainer sessions, but there was one exception mirrored in a foreboding “Inventing Anna” scene. After a $268 dinner, Sorokin’s credit card was declined and Davis footed the bill. But Davis told Pressler that Sorokin “paid her back triple” and in cash.

In “Inventing Anna,” Neff is shown to be Sorokin’s most loyal friend — even after her arrest. That tracks, too. Last month, Davis wished Sorokin happy birthday in an Instagram post featuring photos of them together. “You’re the Thelma to my Louise,” Davis wrote . “And even though I don’t agree with all the things you’ve done in this lifetime, I could never be shady and forget about you.”

The Anna Delvey Foundation

Sorokin wanted to start an exclusive private arts club that she planned to call the Anna Delvey Foundation. As Pressler reported, Sorokin claimed assets of around $60 million, which she said was in a German trust, and sought a $22 million loan to acquire the pricey piece of Park Avenue real estate she hoped would house her organization. As shown in “Inventing Anna,” Sorokin used her connections to pull in powerful would-be collaborators, including André Balazs and Gabriel Calatrava, son of famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Sorokin duped a veteran real estate attorney (a version of whom is played in the series by Anthony Edwards), who signed off on Sorokin’s self-reported assets, despite never receiving official proof, and several investment bankers in the process of trying to finance her business.

In the Netflix series, Anna often instructs business associates to contact a family adviser named Peter Hennecke for payment or to verify her income, but promised wire transfers never materialize. Pressler described a similar pattern, but noted Sorokin’s tendency to overlook bills didn’t initially raise suspicion among Sorokin’s superwealthy friends.

Pressler reported that as Sorokin’s mounting debts went unpaid, emails to Hennecke began bouncing back. When the London-based designer Sorokin contracted to help visualize the ADF brand reached out after not receiving payment for a year, he was told Hennecke died. Pressler concluded that Hennecke “seems to have been a fictional character,” noting that his cellphone number belonged to a defunct burner phone. (“Inventing Anna” takes that setup a bit further, but we won’t spoil that here.)

With the bank unable to verify the assets of “Anna Delvey,” the $22 million loan never came through, but that didn’t stop Sorokin from telling people she had acquired 281 Park , a six-story, 45,000-square-foot building dating to the late 19th century. It also didn’t stop her from taking a $100,000 loan from another bank.

Review: ‘Inventing Anna’ is about a scammer. So why does the show itself feel like a bait and switch?

The trip to Morocco

While waiting to hear back about the mega-loan that never came to fruition, Sorokin invited her celebrity trainer, Kacy Duke, and friend Rachel DeLoache Williams to vacation with her at an opulent Moroccan hotel, where Sorokin had reserved a $7,000-per-night villa. As she did at 11 Howard and the other luxury hotels she temporarily called home, Sorokin charged any and everything — ritzy dinners, indulgent beauty treatments — to the hotel room.

Despite the rich setting, the trip seemed doomed from the start. Duke (referred to as “the trainer” in Pressler’s story) went home early with food poisoning. Then, as Williams recalled in a piece for Vanity Fair , hotel employees approached Sorokin about an issue with her credit card. Sorokin attributed the trouble to her banks being unaware of her international travel and promised to send the hotel a wire. She asked Williams to put up her American Express card in the interim, promising to pay her back. As Williams tearfully testified at Sorokin’s trial, the hotel charged the exorbitant bill — $62,000 — to Williams’s credit card.

Worse, as Pressler reported, Sorokin never made good on her promise to pay her back. A month after the trip, Sorokin had sent only $5,000. The drama is turned up in “Inventing Anna,” with Williams (played by “Scandal’s” Katie Lowes) offering up her company credit card to the hotel staff and facing increasing pressure to pay it back.

All falls down

Things went downhill pretty fast after the Morocco trip, which Sorokin concluded at another hotel, where her cards were again declined. Pressler reported that Duke, the trainer, helped Sorokin — who had called her in tears saying that the hotel threatened to call police — pay for her stay and booked her a flight back to New York. “Inventing Anna” replicates the moment, highlighted in Pressler’s article, when Anna, in between sniffles, asks Kacy (Laverne Cox) to buy her a first-class plane ticket.

Sorokin left 11 Howard upon her return; as Davis told Pressler, her manager had informed her that Sorokin had yet to pay for the massive charges (around $30,000) she’d racked up during her stay. Because the hotel was newly opened when Sorokin arrived, she had managed to check in without a credit card on file and, in a familiar pattern, a wire she had promised never arrived. Eventually, hotel staff threatened to lock her out of her room until she paid. Sorokin was indignant, even following through on a threat to register website domains in all of the managers’ names, but eventually wired the hotel $30,000.

But as Pressler reported, the wire turned out to be from bad checks Sorokin deposited to her accounts as desperation set in. After leaving 11 Howard, Sorokin checked into the Beekman Hotel, where she stayed for 20 days until staffers — unable to retrieve the $11,518.59 in charges she had racked up — confiscated her belongings and locked her out. “A subsequent two-day stay at the W Hotel downtown ended in a similar fashion, and by July 5, Anna was effectively homeless, wandering the streets in threadbare Alexander Wang sportswear,” Pressler wrote.

The show packs months of events into its seventh and eighth episodes, which find Anna briefly staying with Kacy before the trainer sets a boundary. Kacy also attempts to stage an intervention, alongside Rachel, after learning that 281 Park — the supposed setting for ADF — had been leased by a museum. In the series, Anna reacts to that information exactly as Pressler reported it: “That’s fake news,” she says.

At her lowest point, “Inventing Anna” shows Anna on an aimless subway ride, during which she eats a handful of Shake Shack fries someone left on the train. Though the hotels had already pressed charges against her, she quickly goes back to the high life, cashing bad checks to shop and purchase a flight to Los Angeles, missing her arraignment in the process. There, she checks into rehab after mixing large amounts of pills and alcohol.

In rehab, Anna hears from Rachel, who — unbeknown to Anna — has been working with the New York district attorney’s office. She deceptively arranges to meet Anna for lunch in L.A., where police instead arrest her. The scene matches Williams’s description of the incident in her book, “ My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress ,” as excerpted by Time.

The final episode of “Inventing Anna” depicts Sorokin’s trial, during which she often wore clothes provided to her by a stylist and, in at least one instance, refused to enter court because she didn’t like her outfit. As in real life, her lawyer Todd Spodek (Arian Moayed) leans into the fake-it-till-you-make-it spirit of New York in his opening arguments.

“Through her sheer ingenuity, she created the life that she wanted for herself,” Spodek said, according to the New York Times . “Anna was not content with being a spectator, but wanted to be a participant. Anna didn’t wait for opportunities, Anna created opportunities. Now we can all relate to that. There’s a little bit of Anna in all of us.”

In April 2019, Sorokin was convicted of grand larceny, attempted grand larceny and theft of service for bilking the hotels, several financial institutions and a private jet company out of thousands of dollars. She was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison and was released in February 2021 after serving just under four. Sorokin was subsequently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and remains in the agency’s custody .

Netflix paid Sorokin $320,000 for the rights to her story, according to Insider, which reported that nearly all of the money has been paid out as restitution for Sorokin’s victims. Insider also recently published an essay by Sorokin, who says she won’t be watching the series.

“Nearly four years in the making and hours of phone conversations and visits later, the show is based on my story and told from a journalist’s perspective,” Sorokin wrote . “And while I’m curious to see how they interpreted all the research and materials provided, I can’t help but feel like an afterthought, the somber irony of being confined to a cell at yet another horrid correctional facility lost between the lines, the history repeating itself.”

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13 wild details from 'Inventing Anna' — and whether they really happened or not

• Netflix's new show "Inventing Anna" is about scammer Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey.
• It's based on a viral article by journalist Jessica Pressler, who also produced the show.
• Here's how it stacks up to reality, according to a journalist who covered the saga and Sorokin herself.

The introduction of every episode of "Inventing Anna" carries the same message: "This whole story is completely true, except for all the parts that are totally made up."

As a person who covered the real-life Anna Sorokin's trial in 2019 , reported on documents from her legal troubles , and interviewed her and people close to her in the years since, I can tell you: It's more true-to-life than you can imagine.

Though Sorokin hasn't been able to watch the show, I spoke with her about some of the scenes and broke down fact from fiction.

The Netflix show, starring Julia Garner , is based on a 2018 New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler about Sorokin — who also goes by Anna Delvey — scamming Soho until it caught up with her. Sorokin left hotel bills unpaid, took a trip to Morocco and left a friend with the $62,000 bill, and pretended to be an heiress with a $60 million fortune in order to try to convince financial institutions to loan her money for the Anna Delvey Foundation, a plan to develop a mixed-use arts and restaurant space in Manhattan.

Pressler — a talented journalist who also wrote the story that was the basis for the movie "Hustlers" — produced "Inventing Anna" with Shonda Rhimes. Sorokin, after selling her life story rights to Netflix for $320,000 , provided information to lay out the scope of her deceit. Two of Sorokin's friends, Neffatari Davis and Kacy Duke, as well has her former lawyer, Todd Spodek, are also credited as consultants in the show's credits.

Sorokin finished her prison sentence after being convicted on charges related to her scam (although she is appealing her case). She was re-arrested by immigration authorities and remains incarcerated ahead of a possible deportation. Earlier this month, she wrote for Insider about her experience in jail and thoughts on the show.

"Even if I were to pull some strings and make it happen, nothing about seeing a fictionalized version of myself in this criminal-insane-asylum setting sounds appealing to me," Sorokin wrote .

So, how much of "Inventing Anna" is "totally made up?" Here are 13 of the most striking scenes and details from the show and how they match up to reality.

The real-life Jessica Pressler really did have something to prove.

"Inventing Anna" switches between different characters' perspectives in its nine-episode run. The glue holding it all together is Vivian Kent, played by actress Anna Chlumsky, the journalist based on the real-life Pressler.

In the show, Kent had been banished to "Scriberia" in the back of the newsroom because she botched a "listicle" item regarding a teenager who falsely told her he made millions of dollars trading stocks while in high school.

Very little of what follows rings true. It doesn't make any sense that, say, employees are somehow punished by being moved to different seats. Nor does it make sense that a news magazine TV program addressing the controversy would try to interview her  after running an episode about it.

But yes, the real-life Pressler really did write about a Stuyvesant High School student who claimed to make $72 million in stock trades in a short write-up for New York magazine's annual "Reasons to Love New York" issue.

One of the magazine's fact-checkers approved those claims based on bank documents that the student, Mohammed Islam, gave the magazine, according to the New York Observer . There was just one problem: Islam had faked the bank documents.

Once the scandal unraveled, Pressler had a job offer from Bloomberg News rescinded, according to HuffPost .

The real-life Pressler also owns a sick-looking wool black-and-white coat similar to the one Kent wears on the show.

But she didn't work at "Manhattan" magazine.

Manhattan magazine, where Vivian Kent works on the Netflix show, is a stand-in for New York magazine , where the real Pressler worked and where she published her viral investigation on Sorokin.

You'll notice the swishy custom font for Manhattan magazine is similar to the one used on the front cover of every New York magazine issue.

Adam Moss, the legendary former editor of New York, is also thanked in the end credits for "Inventing Anna."

It's hard to imagine a journalist just waltzing into the district attorney's office.

There's a scene early on in the show, after the Manhattan District Attorney's office files criminal charges against Sorokin, where Kent bursts into the office of the prosecutor leading the case. Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw — played by Rebecca Henderson, who captures the real McCaw's icy professionalism — turns her away.

The part where McCaw yields nothing to Kent definitely comes off as accurate. When I tried to talk to the real McCaw during breaks for Sorokin's trial in 2019, she just glared at me.

But it's hard to imagine a journalist just walking into the office of a prosecutor in the first place, much less when their case is awaiting trial.

That said, if any employees of the Manhattan District Attorney's office are reading this, and I am wrong about how tight-lipped you folks are, please feel free to email me or slide into my DMs. I have a lot of questions about the Trump Organization investigation .

Yes, Sorokin really stiffed hotels with thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

"Inventing Anna" shows Sorokin hopping around different expensive hotels in New York and leaving the bills unpaid. Hotel staffers find that her credit cards don't work, and wire transfers she promises don't come through.

The real-life Sorokin really did leave all those hotels holding the bill, and they were included in the "theft of services" charges against her when she went to trial. According to court documents reviewed by Insider, Judge Diane Kiesel, who oversaw the case, ordered Sorokin to pay the Beekman Hotel $10,000, the W New York Downtown Hotel $679.81, and the Le Parker Meridien $176.38. Sorokin later paid them all back with the money she received from Netflix .

The early episodes with Sorokin's boyfriend have the least basis in the record.

It's likely that Pressler uncovered more information about Sorokin's past while preparing "Inventing Anna," but some of the details in the first half of the show — her frustrations with her boyfriend not taking her Anna Delvey Foundation plans seriously, living with an older girlboss consultant, and lingering on a friend-of-a-friend's yacht for days after everyone else left — don't have much basis in what has been reported previously and may have been part of what the writers dramatized for the show.

In an interview with Insider, Sorokin said that the plotlines about her overstaying her welcome on a yacht and racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bergdorf Goodman purchases on another person's credit card "doesn't ring a bell."

She did have a boyfriend she traveled extensively with in 2016, she said, but she came up with the idea for the Anna Delvey Foundation after splitting up with him, not while they were together, as the show depicts.

Sorokin really crashed at Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland's place for a few days.

Billy McFarland's downfall with Fyre Festival was part of the same "summer of scam" of Pressler's Sorokin story.

But before both Sorokin and McFarland separately got in trouble with the law, they crossed paths. One of McFarland's businesses pre-Fyre Festival was called Magnises. It was a sort of exclusive membership designed to offer exclusive access for concerts, Broadway shows, and travel.

Magnises didn't actually quite do all that . But one of its other features was allowing members to use a townhouse in downtown Manhattan.

Magnises ultimately fell apart. But before it was evicted from one of its townhouses,  according to Page Six , Sorokin crashed there for a few months and "wouldn't leave" even though she had asked McFarland if she could stay for only "a few days."

And yes, she really did know Martin Shkreli.

One scene from "Inventing Anna" shows her at a dinner with Martin Shkreli , the pharmaceuticals executive who was convicted of securities fraud in 2017 and remains in federal prison. Shkreli (portrayed by Will Stephen) plays tracks from "Tha Carter V," an unreleased Lil Wayne album he got ahold of, in the show.

The two really did know each other, and he did really play that Lil Wayne album. In her New York story, Pressler reached out to Shkreli, who confirmed it in a letter he sent from prison. Rachel Williams, Sorokin's former close friend, also wrote in her book that Sorokin talked about Shkreli and defended his price-hiking of lifesaving drugs.

Yes, Sorokin really did make up fake identities for the ostensible managers of her trust fund.

In order to try to get loans for the Anna Delvey Foundation, Sorokin had to show banks she could eventually pay them back.

So she concocted a fake backstory where she was the heiress set to gain access to a $60 million fortune back home in Germany. With those funds on the way, she believed, bankers and other financial institution might believe there was little risk in giving her money.

But in their due diligence process, bankers wanted to actually speak with the people managing her trust fund. In "Inventing Anna," we see that process mainly through Alan Reed, a financial lawyer and composite character not based on any one particular real person, who helps Sorokin through the process of obtaining a loan.

Before Reed offers up Sorokin's plans to financial institutions, he does his own due diligence. After he asks Sorokin for some evidence of her trust fund, Sorokin offers up a name: Peter Hennecke. Hennecke, she says, manages the Delvey family's finances and could supply whatever documentation was needed.

We later learn in "Inventing Anna" that Hennecke was actually Sorokin herself, using a fake email account and a voice-disguising app while on phone calls with Reed.

In real life, Sorokin went through even more elaborate lengths.

The fake email accounts, Photoshopped bank statements, and voice-disguising app use was all real. Prosecutors presented evidence for all that in her trial .

But Sorokin also concocted a  second fake identity, a woman presumably named Bettina Wagner. Wagner, Sorokin said, was a family accountant, and presumably told Rachel Williams that money paying her back for the Morocco trip was on the way.

McCaw cited the fake identities in closing arguments for Sorokin's criminal trial, telling jurors that the fake identities proved Sorokin had criminal intent.

"We all know what a white lie is. A white lie is telling a girlfriend that her butt does not look big in those jeans," McCaw said at the trial . "Making up fake bank documents, making up fake accountants, making up fake identity documents — those are not white lies."

Yes, Sorokin really refused to show up in court without the right clothes.

The ever image-conscious Sorokin really did refuse to show up to her own trial because she didn't have the right outfit.

In fact, it happened several times. Sorokin hired Anastasia Nicole Walker , a celebrity stylist, to pick out clothes for her trial. But she didn't actually always get them, and was instructed to wear the white shirt and black pants that belonged to the court on several days.

Judge Diane Kiesel admonished Sorokin over her refusal to wear the outfits provided by the court.

"Your client seems a little too concerned about her clothing. This is a trial. She's a defendant," Kiesel told Spodek. "I'm sorry her clothing isn't up to her standards. Are you asking me to stop this trial because of the clothing? She's got to be here."

Sorokin told Insider in a recent interview that she was frustrated with the logistics of her situation. She was taken to and from Rikers Island to the court in lower Manhattan every day. The long travel time meant she returned to her cell as late as 10 p.m. and had to wake up as early as 4 a.m.

Because her time at Rikers was outside of visiting hours, and the court's rules didn't permit people to give her items, it was difficult for her to get the clothing she wanted to wear, she said. The New York Department of Corrections, she said, should have found a way to get them to her.

"You can't blame Rikers, but that doesn't solve my problem," Sorokin told Insider. "I'm still here without the clothes, just because Rikers told me no. I thought it's a reasonable demand."

On top of that, she said, she sometimes delayed entering the courtroom because she simply felt sick given the lack of sleep, bad food, and occasional bullying she endured in jail.

"It was a combination of, like, multiple events, and I just felt just awful — like just physically awful and nauseous," she said.

Outfits on the show are also true-to-life, like that snakeskin dress Sorokin wears.

Sorokin did indeed hire a celebrity personal trainer.

One of Sorokin's friends in "Inventing Anna" is Kacy Duke, played by Laverne Cox.

In the show and in real life, Duke really is a successful personal trainer , known for working with Dakota Johnson ahead of "50 Shades of Gray." Sorokin hired her for a number of group workouts and eventually did become something of a friend to her. Duke also consulted on "Inventing Anna."

Sorokin left Rachel Williams with the bill for that Morocco trip.

The famed trip to La Mamounia, a five-star luxury hotel in Marrakesh — and who would pay for it — became one of the most contentious episodes  of Sorokin's saga.

In the fall of 2017, Sorokin organized the trip to Morocco. She took with her Rachel Williams, a Vanity Fair photo editor she befriended ; Kacy Duke, her personal trainer; and Jesse Hawk, a videographer she wanted to make a documentary about the genesis of the Anna Delvey Foundation.

It was a vacation. The group hung out at hotel's spa, dined at restaurants, took a private tour of Yves Saint Laurent's villa, and shopped at bazaars.

After a week, the management of La Mamounia told Sorokin that her credit cards weren't working and that she needed to pay up. It was a tense scene. Williams, believing Sorokin was wealthy and would pay her back, offered her own credit card and her Vanity Fair company card to settle some bills.

Williams has chronicled the episode, and what happened next, in court testimony , a Vanity Fair article of her own , and a book . When she returned to the United States, she asked Sorokin to pay her back. Sorokin blew her off, told her the money was on its way when it actually wasn't, and eventually gave her just $5,000 out of the $62,000 she said she'd pay back.

(Maybe Williams should have taken Sorokin up on her offer to get paid back in Bitcoin. The $62,000 in Bitcoin at the time would be worth about $352,000 today.)

After months of fruitless attempts to get repaid, and a dramatic intervention where Sorokin kept up her guards, Williams went to the police and helped set up a sting operation where Sorokin was arrested in Los Angeles.

Williams testified, and wrote in her book, that American Express ultimately gave her all her money back. Her book deal and HBO deal from her story also gave her the potential to earn up to $600,000 more , she testified.

At trial, the jury acquitted Sorokin of the prosecutors' charge alleging she stole from Williams.

But Williams and Davis didn't really run in the same circles.

"Inventing Anna" portrays Williams, Duke, Davis, and Sorokin as a crew of friends who did everything together. Davis even confronts Williams about not visiting Sorokin in jail in one scene.

They weren't quite as close-knit in real life. While Sorokin did invite Williams to her workout sessions with Duke , Davis wasn't really part of the same crew. Williams also didn't know Duke particularly well until after the Morocco trip, when she went to great lengths in order to get Sorokin to pay her back, she wrote in her book .

Yes, Pressler really went to Germany to meet Sorokin's parents.

Towards the end of "Inventing Anna," our main character is still hard to understand.

Why did Sorokin think scamming was the best way to pull off the Anna Delvey Foundation? What drove her?

Kent — Pressler's stand-in — goes to Germany to find out. She tracks down Sorokin's family in a small town. Her parents don't want to talk with her at first. Eventually, Kent finds out, this is a family with a sort of chip on their shoulder. They've been subject to discrimination in Germany because of their Russian background, and Sorokin had something to prove.

Pressler really did meet Sorokin's family, Sorokin told me. But in real life, Pressler's visit wasn't a surprise for them.

While Pressler wanted to make the trip for research purposes, Sorokin helped arrange meetings and pointed her to the places she spent time in when she was younger.

"She did not break into my house," Sorokin told Insider, laughing.

Sorokin found it difficult to describe her relationship with her real parents. After finishing up school, she "just couldn't wait to get out of there" — a common sentiment among 19-year-olds living with their parents — and after a while landed an internship at Purple magazine in Paris. Her parents weren't really plugged into the fashion world, she said.

"Generally, I would definitely agree that my parents did not really know what to do with me," Sorokin said.

"I talk to my parents couple times a week," she added. "I guess they are learning to deal with the whole situation."

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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The scammer-chic costumes in Inventing Anna tell their own story

By Christian Allaire

In the second episode of Shonda Rhimes ’s new Netflix series, Inventing Anna —which follows the rise and fall of Anna Delvey , New York’s most infamous scammer— Anna (portrayed by Julia Garner ) spontaneously travels to Ibiza to board a friend’s yacht for a few days. She arrives on the ginormous boat wearing a fitted red Alexander McQueen dress with a flouncy hemline. The look is finished off with a silk scarf tied around her head like a babushka, gigantic sunglasses, and a Dior tote with her name embroidered onto it. The extremely glamorous outfit shows what you can buy with fraudulently-acquired cash—provided you can swindle enough New Yorkers, of course. 

By now, you’ve likely heard the real-life story of Anna Delvey (née Anna Sorokin ), who was convicted in 2019 on charges of attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services. From 2013 to 2017, she tricked Manhattan’s elite into thinking she was a German heiress. She defrauded banks, hotels, and acquaintances, all while ostensibly raising funds for The Anna Delvey Foundation, the contemporary art center of her dreams. Huge tabs were left unpaid in the process; money borrowed from friends was never paid back. (Till this day, Delvey still remains in immigration limbo, and is currently in custody with ICE. She completed her criminal sentence last year, but is now awaiting deportation back to Germany.)

By Radhika Seth

By Luke Leitch

By Caroline Laurent-Simon

If you’re posing as a German heiress, you have to dress the part. Costume designers Lyn Paolo and Laura Frecon began their research by taking a deep-dive into Delvey ’s Instagram account , where she often posted selfies of her designer outfits, as well as reading journalist Jessica Pressler ’s viral profile of her. “We went down a rabbit hole—googling and stalking friends who were tagged—and then we tried to match every one of her looks as best we could,” Frecon says. “We even recreated a little black bomber jacket that was mentioned [in the article] and that was in a lot of her Instagram photos too.”

Delvey ’s fashion choices evolve throughout the show to accentuate her character arch. As a lover of all things fashion and New York street style, Anna ’s style begins as youthful and graphic. She sports a loud floral-print Dolce suit while browsing an art gallery in one early scene. But her wardrobe slowly begins to change as Delvey infiltrates a more glamorous, high-class circle. “Her style becomes more curated and conservative, so that she can be taken seriously in that business world,” Paolo says. They chose to dress her in more discreet clothes from labels like Oscar de la Renta , Chanel , Givenchy , Prada , Gucci , Valentino , and Celine . The project was a dream job for both the costumers and Garner alike, who got to play dress up every single day. “She would come in, and we would have 10 racks of clothes, and she would just be beaming,” Paolo says. “She would want to try everything on!”

For the more mature, secondary characters in Delvey ’s circle, meanwhile, the costumers took great inspiration from New York’s “ladies who lunch”. “Everything is curated. The jewelry matches the jacket that matches the nails,” Paolo says. Though any character, no matter how big or small, had plenty of clothing options. “People were basically throwing things at us,” Paolo says. “We started reaching out to our friends in the fashion world, and asking them to give us pieces that weren’t out yet. We wanted to be ahead of the curve.” 

They added that the many discussions with Pressler , and the constant re-reading of her bombshell story, were pivotal to understanding what just may have been in Anna ’s real-life wardrobe. “Jessica was invaluable to the research—even down to what Anna wore when she was arrested (Chanel flats),” Paolo says. “We did so much research just trying to figure out who she was. But I think that’s the whole point of the show—nobody really knows who Anna is.”

This article was originally published on Vogue.com

More videos from Vogue France on Youtube :  

By Nicole Phelps

By Héloïse Salessy

Watch Inventing Anna

• 6.9   (79,457)

Inventing Anna is a Netflix original series that follows the thrilling and fascinating story of Anna Sorokin, who used the pseudonym Anna Delvey to pose as a wealthy German heiress. The show is a captivating mix of drama and mystery that keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats.

The series is set in New York City and is based on a New York Magazine article, "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People," written by Jessica Pressler in 2018. It delves into the notorious case of Sorokin, who conned friends, businesses, and New York socialites out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through deception and lies.

One of the main characters in the series, played by Julia Garner, is a young journalist named Vivian who attempts to unravel the complex and intricate web of deceit spun by Sorokin. Anna Chlumsky plays one of Sorokin's victims, a wealthy socialite who is lured in by the charming and charismatic con artist. The show also features an impressive ensemble cast, including Laverne Cox, Katie Lowes, Terry Kinney, and Jeff Perry.

Inventing Anna explores themes of greed, ambition, and social climbing as it follows Sorokin's journey through New York City's elite social circles. The show highlights how Sorokin's schemes were made possible by her uncanny ability to manipulate people, as well as her desire for fame and fortune.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Inventing Anna is the way it portrays Sorokin as a complex character with both admirable and deplorable qualities. While her actions were undoubtedly criminal, the series also shows her as a young woman with big dreams and formidable intelligence, who was able to hold her own in a world that was not always welcoming to outsiders.

The show's creators, including showrunner Shonda Rhimes, masterfully depict the social dynamics of New York City's upper crust, portraying it as a cutthroat world where appearance is everything. The series also draws attention to the racial and economic disparities that exist within the city, highlighting how Sorokin's white privilege enabled her to get away with her crimes for as long as she did.

Inventing Anna is a beautifully shot series that oozes glamour and prestige, showcasing the opulent and lavish lifestyles of New York's elite socialites. The costumes and set design are impeccable, transporting the viewer into a world of high fashion and luxury.

From the first episode, viewers are transported into Sorokin's lavish lifestyle, filled with private jets, luxury hotels, expensive designer clothes, and champagne-soaked parties. However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that Sorokin's extravagant lifestyle was built on a house of cards, and her lies begin to catch up with her.

Inventing Anna is a gripping and insightful series that offers a fascinating look into the mind of a master con artist. It's a must-watch for anyone who is interested in true crime, drama, and mystery. The show's combination of strong performances, compelling storyline, and gorgeous visuals make it one of the most captivating Netflix original series of 2022.

Inventing Anna is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (9 episodes). The series first aired on February 11, 2022.

• Genres Drama
• Cast Julia Garner Anna Chlumsky
• Channel Netflix
• Premiere Date February 11, 2022
• IMDB Rating 6.9   (79,457)

Is Inventing Anna’s Talia Mallay Based on a Real Person?

Netflix’s ‘ Inventing Anna ‘ follows the remarkable story of Anna Sorokin, aka Ana Delvey, a high society grifter who rubs shoulders with some of New York City’s wealthiest. The miniseries blazes through Anna’s dramatic rise as she befriends increasingly wealthy and well-positioned individuals, building her own perceived legitimacy.

One of the first to introduce Anna to an opulent lifestyle is the art collector and brand owner Talia Mallay. However, our confident grifter impresses Talia first with her interpretation of a Cindy Sherman photograph. Seeing as much of the show is a version of real events , we decided to see whether Talia Mallay from ‘Inventing Anna’ was based on a real person. Here’s what we found.

Is Talia Mallay Based on a Real Person?

In the Netflix miniseries, Talia Mallay (Marika Dominczyk) is one of the many wealthy, well-connected individuals who take a shine to Anna and introduce her to some of her own wealthy friends. The two first meet at an art exhibition, where Anna, in her signature disdainful tone , impresses Talia with a powerful interpretation of a Cindy Sherman photograph. The connection is instant, and the art icon buys the photograph despite initially scoffing at it. Funnily enough, a few years later, while investigating Anna for her story, Vivian finds herself in Talia’s luxurious home, staring at the very same photograph.

Before getting to the character of Talia Mallay, it’s worth noting that the striking photograph in question is genuine. Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled Film Still #17” (1978) is part of a collection of black and white photographs in which the artist posed as various generic female film characters. The photograph is a well-known masterpiece and was incidentally being auctioned in 2014.

However, the character of Talia Mallay is not as straightforward to find real-world connections to. The Netflix miniseries draws heavily from Jessica Pressler’s 2018 New York Magazine article , which describes a few real-life individuals (like Neff , Rachel , and “ the trainer “). However, Talia seems to be an addition to the show that is inspired from elsewhere. It is possible that the wealthy lifestyle brand owner represents a real individual who interacted with Anna but would like to keep their identity undisclosed.

The character of Talia Mallay could also be an amalgamation of multiple real-life people that Anna met at one point or another. From what we know of the “SoHo grifter’s” lifestyle, she was often jet-setting around the world (usually on someone else’s dime). Thus, the part of the show when Anna is invited to a luxurious yacht in Ibiza by Talia could actually have happened. It is just that the identity of the potential real person is hidden behind the fictional character of Talia.

Thus, it is unclear whether Talia Mallay is based on a particular person or not. However, chances are that the character is inspired by reality (seeing as how most other characters in ‘Inventing Anna’ have a real-life counterpart). Anna Sorokin thrived on expanding her social circles, and the real-life counterpart of Talia Mallay could be one of many individuals that the opportunistic socialite befriended.

Read More:  Are Anna Sorokin and Neffatari Davis Still Friends?

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Inventing anna: anna sorokin's 10 best outfits in the miniseries.

There's no shortage of fabulous clothes in Inventing Anna, as Anna Sorokin is known to dress to the nines all the time. Which are her best outfits?

When viewers aren't anticipating Anna's brilliant schemes in Inventing Anna , they're likely busy admiring her stunning outfits. Each episode is full of designer clothes that are impeccably styled by the protagonist – she constantly has to dress to impress (and fit in), after all.

RELATED:  10 Best TV Shows Like Inventing Anna

It's fascinating to think about how Anna Sorokin learns how to dress to the nines from reading magazines. She learns about the importance of dressing well as a teen and uses her knowledge to impress the richest and most fashionable people in New York. Some of her ensembles stand out in the miniseries for all the right reasons, as they underscore her amazing sense of style and great taste in fashion.

Floral Power Suit

Anna knows that  Nora is the most powerful character  who can connect her to influential people in the city. She works hard to get on her good side, and when she finally does, she has the perfect outfit to wear when she's introduced to the all-female circle of wealthy friends.

The protagonist makes a strong first impression with a unique power suit. She chooses a floral blazer that coincidentally matches the outdoor setting of the event. Of course, she doesn't forget to wear tasteful danglings earrings that subtly elevate the entire ensemble.

Sparkly Party Dress

Her friends can count on Anna to know how to have a good time, even though she doesn't have the funds to pay for it. A moment that highlights the beginning of her newly formed group happens after she spends an evening having fun with Rachel, Kacy, and Neff. Her sparkly party dress for that night unsurprisingly steals the scene.

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It's the flawless fit and glitzy boldness of the small dress that makes it stand out. Viewers likely couldn't help but gasp along with Neff as Anna doesn't hesitate to jump into the pool in her expensive outfit.

Asymmetrical Little Black Dress

When the event calls for it, Anna can wear more understated ensembles that still represent her impressive personal style. Her celebratory little black dress is one example of it, as she draws all of the attention in the room with the classy outfit.

It's the ideal choice for her early celebration because of a potential funder for the Anna Delvey Foundation. She has dyed her hair auburn at this point, which is a color that truly pops when paired with dark fabric. All eyes are on her that evening, and she knows it.

80s-Inspired Puff-Sleeves

The protagonist incidentally chooses a fierce outfit when she argues with one of the  best characters in Inventing Anna , Neff. When her closest friend confronts her as she's shopping in a designer store, audiences can't be blamed for being slightly distracted by her 80s-inspired form-fitting dress.

Anna rocks the vibrant statement sleeves that toe the line between being eclectic and glamorous. It's an arguably over-the-top ensemble to wear while shopping during the day, but it soon makes sense when fans witness the tense scene between her and Neff.

Turquoise Resortwear

Leave it to Anna to know exactly what to pack in just a few hours before an impromptu trip to Ibiza. The fake German heiress knows she has to present herself as the real deal in front of the influential people on the yacht, and one way she does that is through her attires.

RELATED: Cruella's 10 Best Outfits, Ranked

An underrated outfit from that sequence is highlighted for only a few seconds, during her stressful phone call with Talia. The turquoise resort wear – complete with a headscarf – looks like she's about to spend a carefree day just lounging on the yacht's deck, which, as fans may recall, is far from what actually happens next.

Understated Offshoulder Silk Dress

When Val describes why he likes Anna  in the first episode of the series, he talks about how she knows exactly what to say, how to act, and most importantly, what to wear. As Anna watches models walking down the runway, she looks like she could be presenting her understated dress up there with them.

The flowy silk dress is simple and elegant, and it brings the focus to her flawless makeup and statement earrings. It's the kind of outfit that would turn heads when she walks into any room – it's no wonder Val is so eager to be her friend.

Houndstooth Cape Jacket

The best architects, designers, and even chefs immediately see that  Anna is a smart  and ambitious person with big plans for 281 Park. When she walks through the place for the first time explaining her grand concept, they're all excited by her vision and their part to play in it.

Of course, she makes sure to wear a classy cape jacket for the occasion. The houndstooth design complements her fabulous red bag, not to mention the signature choker that she ends up wearing more than once in the show.

Striking Red Floral Jacket

Kacy, Rachel, and Neff are immediately impressed when Anna nonchalantly lets them know that she bought a building. Her eagerness comes through when she excitedly asks them if they want to tour the place.

RELATED:  12 Best Outfits & Looks In And Just Like That

A brief scene that shows Anna staring at 281 Park with her group of friends shows her lost in her own thoughts, which allows viewers a moment to admire her striking red floral jacket and designer handbag. It's a glamorous ensemble that fits the reveal of her new purchase. As Neff says, it proves that she's "the real deal" in front of her new friends.

60s-Inspired Travelwear

One of Anna's most iconic outfits is the 60s-inspired travel wear she dons while on the yacht in Ibiza. She immediately impresses Talia's wealthy companions, and her first impression arguably bolsters the argument she makes for Chase's potential investor later on.

Her off-shoulder red dress is definitely a scene-stealer, but it's the beautiful headscarf that completes the outfit. She looks like a movie star on vacation with her oversized sunglasses, which make the ensemble look even more stylish. It's red carpet-worthy, which is why she predictably fits right in with Talia's circle.

Pearl-studded Evening Jacket

An emotional and slightly disturbing scene that shows audiences (and Val) Anna's more vulnerable side also happens to feature one of the protagonist's most sophisticated looks. As she stands in disbelief in front of the pushy manager, viewers can take in the stunning pearl-studded evening jacket she never gets a chance to show off outside.

The intricate details on the sleeves and shoulders make the jacket look chic and classy. Anna doesn't forget to wear diamonds to match the outfit, which is arguably her best one in the entire series.

NEXT:  Ruth Langmore’s 10 Most Iconic Scenes In Ozark

Inventing Anna's Chase Is Fictional (But Could Be Based On A Real Ex)

If you were wondering if Netflix's "Inventing Anna" series is totally accurate , it begins with the disclaimer: "This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are totally made up." While we know specifically which characters are based on real people, there are just as many that are made up — or composites of different people. The identity of Anna Sorokin-Anna Delvey's boyfriend, Chase Sikorski (Saamer Usmani), is one such character that has had fans scratching their heads.

Only referred to as the "Futurist" in Jessica Pressler's article in New York Magazine , fans began to come up with ideas of who the Futurist's identity was based on Pressler describing him as a regular on the TED Talk circuit and the subject of a past profile by The New Yorker. One suggestion was AOL marketing executive David Shing, who had been profiled by The New Yorker in 2014 and talked about the digital landscape in his TED Talk.

Another option floated by viewers was Hunter Lee Soik, who was the subject of a profile in The New Yorker and presented a TED Talk. Like Sikorski, he did actually invent an app to help create a community of dreamers, called Shadow. But more importantly, Page Six reported that they had sources who established that she used to date Soik, with one source saying the tech entrepreneur had introduced Sorokin to the New York social scene.

Clues may suggest Chase is based on Soik

Shortly after the Netflix series "Inventing Anna" was released, fans' interest in the person who Chase was based on had gotten so loud that Page Six reported that Sorokin posted on her Instagram stories, "Want to know who the real 'Chase' is? The media outlet with the highest bid gets the exclusive. Bid starts at 10K. DM to bid." While Sorokin has never confirmed whether Chase is based on Hunter Lee Soik, Sorokin's former best friend, Rachel DeLoache Williams, wrote in her book,  "My Friend Anna," that Sorokin had dated Soik, who was often called a "futurist."

Soik is also mentioned in one of Sorokin's own Instagram posts from 2014, which shows a yacht on the ocean in Ibiza. Viewers will recall that in Episode 2 ("The Devil Wore Anna"), Anna and Chase spontaneously fly to Ibiza and stay on Henrick Knight's (Josh Malina) yacht after getting an invite from his friend and Anna's (Julie Garner) acquaintance, Talia Mallay (Marika Dominczyk), to try to get Knight to invest in Chase's app.

While the facts seem to suggest that Chase could be based on Soik, Sorokin has still never confirmed or denied it. Based on the fact that Soik is not even referred to by name in Pressler's article, audiences may never know for sure if there is a true connection between Chase and Soik.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories

Chi è Anna Sorokin, la (vera) falsa milionaria di “Inventing Anna”

di Alice Abbiadati

Anna Sorokin/Delvey e la storia vera di una maxi truffa

Inventing Anna è la serie tv in vetta alle classifiche mondiali. Un fenomeno da record che ha raggiunto circa 200 milioni di ore viste solo la scorsa settimana, superando You ma senza spodestare l'irriverente Squid Game . 

Il plot e la storia reale

Di che cosa parla Inventing Anna , con protagonista una superba Julia Garner , se ancora non lo avete visto? Una giornalista indaga sul caso dell'allora poco più che ventenne Anna Delvey, la finta ereditiera tedesca che è riuscita, almeno per un periodo, a truffare l'élite di New York per creare un suo impero molto ambizioso. La serie si ispira all'articolo del New York Magazine How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People (come Anna Delvey ha ingannato i festaioli di New York) scritto da Jessica Pressler, nella serie tv presente con il nome di Vivian Kent. La giornalista voleva creare un reportage accurato sui fatti, la Sorokin (vero cognome di Anna) voleva invece che nessuno pensasse che lei fosse un'influencer stupida, vuota e inutile, piuttosto voleva far emergere il suo fiuto per gli affari dimostrando che l'apparenza davvero conta. Ma ad Anna non va tutto a gonfie vele: dal 2013 al 2017 ha sì truffato l’élite di New York e le banche americane, ha lasciato debiti nei migliori hotel della città, ha falsificato dichiarazioni per assicurarsi prestiti multimilionari, ha persino preso un jet privato senza saldarne il conto . Ma quando era sul punto di ottenere il prestito di centinaia di migliaia di dollari per aprire la sua fondazione, qualcosa va storto - complice il suo non-passato da ereditiera e l'aver tradito un'amica - e finisce in carcere.

Foto courtesy Netflix

“Questa storia è completamente vera. Tranne che per le parti assolutamente inventate"

Ognuna delle nove puntate di Inventing Anna inizia con questa frase. Vi starete chiedendo cosa ci sia di vero e cosa di falso nella storia della ragazza nata in Russia, cresciuta in Germania e diventata un'icona a New York. Ed è inutile negare che questa è solo l'ultima delle storie di truffe che in qualche modo ha conquistato il pubblico. Merito di Anna Sorokin , in arte Delvey. Successe davvero: Anna truffò per 275 mila dollari, con l'intento di ottenere un prestito di 22 milioni di dollari per la sua Anna Delvey Foundation , una specie di Soho House ancora più elitaria incentrata sull'arte, passione della sua finta immagine di ricca ereditiera tedesca. Perché aveva bisogno il prestito? Fintamente perché era in attesa del fondo fiduciario a suo nome da 60 milioni di dollari. Molte cose sono inventate nello show di Netflix, come la permanenza a Ibiza sullo yacht dell'amica o le versioni dei fatti di Anna stessa. Ma del resto Shonda Rymes insegna che, se dai al pubblico una narratrice chiaramente inaffidabile, riesci a incollare proprio il pubblico completamente allo schermo, come le migliori serie tv fanno.

di Selene Oliva

di Héloïse Salessy

di Elise Taylor

Alle stelle le ricerche per gli occhiali di Celine e la corsa dal parrucchiere per i capelli dal rosso lussuoso

Secondo una recente ricerca del portale online Stylight, su Google l’interesse degli utenti è aumentato del +175% per gli occhiali da vista di Celine . Non un modello qualunque ma proprio quello specifico indossato da Anna, squadrato e dallo stile francese, dal tocco rock'n roll. Ed è boom di richieste anche per i capelli rossi, un biondo veneziano freddo e dal sottotono cenere, che si presta bene a un incarnato diafano come quello di Julia Garner. Perché piace? Non è da Barbie, piuttosto perfetto per una donna d'affari.

Anna ha davvero preso un jet privato senza saldare il conto

Direzione: la conferenza dell'imprenditore e filantropo Warren Buffett in Nebraska. Saldo da pagare: 35.390 dollari, che ha anticipato falsificando una ricevuta di conferma di un bonifico bancario.

Come ha truffato l'élite di Manhattan

Tutti pendevano dalle labbra di Anna. I migliori architetti, i migliori investitori, i migliori chef stellati. Tutto sembrava pronto per l'apertura imminente della Anna Delvey Foundation. Ma come riusciva a mettersi in contatto le banche? Il manager della finta famiglia prestigiosa Delvey, il signor Peter W. Hennecke, altro non era che la stessa Anna al telefono che camuffava la sua voce utilizzando un'app di distorsione della voce, acquistata online a pochi dollari.

Dove è ora Anna Sorokin

Con otto capi d‘accusa, Anna sconta la sua condanna ed esce di galera nel febbraio 2021 . Sei mesi dopo, a causa della politica sull’immigrazione di Trump, rientra in carcere per poi fare ritorno in Germania. Ma voci dicono che Anna ha ancora progetti in cantiere, anche se l'intero mondo conosce il suo essere un genio della truffa . A Netflix ha concesso i diritti d'autore per la bellezza di 320 mila dollari, soldi con i quali in parte ha iniziato a saldare i suoi debiti.

Cosa è successo con l'amica Rachel Williams

La giornalista di Vanity Fair America, autrice del libro My Friend Anna: The true story of the fake heiress of New York City, si è vista sottrarre 62.000 dollari dalla carta di credito aziendale durante un viaggio tra amiche a Marrakech e fu sospesa dal lavoro. Per recuperare i soldi decise di scrivere un pezzo sul magazine e successivamente proporre la sua versione via libro. Rachel Williams, la stessa che denunciò Anna facendola arrestare a Los Angeles, è ora contro la serie tv firmata Shonda Rhimes perché sostiene che gli sceneggiatori non siano stati corretti nei suoi confronti. Eppure, oltre al libro, Williams aveva preso accordi anche con la tv. La trasposizione della sua verità sul piccolo schermo doveva essere prodotta da Lena Dunham ma l’arrivo di Netflix avrebbe stravolto tutti i piani . Sorokin ha di recente rotto il silenzio sull'ex amica, controbattendo che Williams avrebbe infastidito il suo avvocato, Todd, per convincerla a scrivere il libro insieme a lei. 

Era davvero amica dell'altrettanto truffatore Billy McFarland, del Fyre Festival

Anna ha veramente alloggiato nell'open space di Billy McFarland, ideatore del Fyre Festival, che ha nella realtà truffato investitori per quasi 30 milioni di dollari. Doveva restarci per pochi giorni, si è trattenuta per mesi.

Esiste davvero il profilo Instagram dei look di Anna durante il processo

Ebbene sì, @annadelveycourtlooks esiste davvero e e ai tempi ha avuto molte visualizzazioni. Certo non si sa, al contrario di quello che succede nella serie tv, chi abbia davvero aperto questo profilo. E con stra grande probabilità, il vestito bianco dell'ultimo giorno di processo non arriva dal guardaroba della giornalista Pressler. 

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di Giacomo Aricò

di Alexandre Marain

di Valentina Abate

• Entertainment
• How <i>Inventing Anna</i> Meticulously Recreated Scammer Anna Delvey’s Glamorous Wardrobe

How Inventing Anna Meticulously Recreated Scammer Anna Delvey’s Glamorous Wardrobe

L yn Paolo was hired as the costume designer on Netflix’s miniseries Inventing Anna , but she often felt more like a detective.

The Shonda Rhimes -produced project, out today, examines the internet’s favorite scammer: Anna Delvey (née Sorokin) . The show is based on a 2018 New York Magazine article that exposed how, between 2013 and 2017, Sorokin posed as a German heiress and stole more than $275,000 from banks, hotels, and her wealthy New York City acquaintances.

Paolo was tasked with returning viewers to the scene of the “ Soho grifter’s” crimes one outfit at a time. “Shonda was very clear: she wanted to match the real Anna exactly whenever possible,” says Paolo, who’s Rhimes’ go-to costumer ( Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder ). “[It] was like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle and finding all these tiny bits.”

Paolo and her co-designer, Laura Frecon, spent hours studying Sorokin’s Instagram account for clues about what brands she wore during her scamming heyday. Sometimes, when they needed help fact-checking their findings, they enlisted members of the Inventing Anna production team. “We would give them pictures and say, ‘This is Anna’s foot or Anna’s arm,’” she says. “Then they would, with our help, look at what was on the runways and what was in stores at that time to make sure we had it right.”

Fashion was one of the ways Sorokin fooled people into believing she was a wealthy heiress launching a private social club and art foundation. She reportedly wore clothing by high-end designers such as Alaïa, Dior, Valentino, and Miu Miu. Throughout her trial, she donned a pair of black Céline eyeglasses that quickly became her signature accessory. (Propmaster Max E. Brehme was able to find the same style of frames that Sorokin wore.) In actuality, though, the Russian-born, German-raised daughter of a trucker wasn’t a trust-fund kid. She just dressed like one.

In 2019, Sorokin was convicted on eight counts, including grand larceny in the first, second, and third degrees, and sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Following her early release in February 2021, she was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying her visa. She is currently in ICE detention waiting to learn whether the U.S. will deport her to Germany.

While Paolo’s not a fan of Sorokin’s style, which she described as “a little Soho downtown, a little clubwear,” she believes that she was a talented chameleon. “I think Anna was a good observer,” she says of Sorokin’s fashion evolution over the course of those four years. “I think she was smart enough to blend in.” Paolo played with that concept when dressing the fictional Anna ( Ozark ’s Julia Garner ), whose clothes get sleeker and more expensive as she becomes more ensconced in Manhattan’s upper echelon. She admits that not all of the show’s looks are true to Sorokin’s style: “Our Anna needed to look a little more elevated than the real Anna.”

Here, Paolo explains how she recreated Anna’s signature choker, perfectly pressed prison uniforms, and designer trial looks.

All Black Everything

Scroll through Sorokin’s Instagram, and you’ll notice she favored black. One dress in particular became a staple of Sorokin’s going-out wardrobe: a black Aläia knit dress. When Paolo and her team finally found the tight, long-sleeved mini dress after trolling vintage shops and online consignment stores, it was two sizes too big for Garner. “We had to cut it down, and we were praying it would work because it’s like a stretch knit, which is pretty hard to alter,” she says. Fortunately, the alteration worked and the garment became integral to Garner’s acting process. “I think she felt like she was inhabiting the real Anna when she wore that,” Paolo says. “That was a useful thing for Julia.”

Little White Details

Amid a sea of little black dresses, Paolo often added a pop of white to Anna’s wardrobe. In episode 4, Anna wears an Emily Wickstead one-shouldered black gown with a big white bow on the shoulder when she’s toasting to her future. At that moment she believes she’s going to get her loan and open her club. “Those are sort of pivotal moments for Anna,” Paolo says. Any time you see Anna in a black and white number, she says, “It’s a, ‘Is it going to happen or not going to happen?’ kind of vibe.”

Anna’s Hollywood Entrance

When Anna arrives in Ibiza with her boyfriend in episode 2, Paolo wanted to ensure her costume left viewers in awe. “I said to Shonda, ‘I want that To Catch a Thief moment,'” she recalls. Channeling Grace Kelly in that 1955 Alfred Hitchcock caper, Anna is wearing big Christian Dior sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around her blonde hair that was custom made to match her red “fun, not fussy” Alexander McQueen dress. If you look closely, you’ll notice the Dior bag Anna is holding on the yacht has the name “Delvey” embroidered on it. “We didn’t cheat with the bags, that’s a real Dior, but Dior couldn’t help us with the detailing,” Paolo says. So they show had a seamstress in Los Angeles create a nameplate applique that was stitched on for the shoot.

Anna’s Girlboss Attire

In episode 4, Anna is in full business mode as she gives investors a tour of the Park Avenue mansion she hopes to turn into a club. Paolo didn’t want the character to wear another coat. “It didn’t feel special enough,” she says. So she went with a black, white, and red plaid Valentino cape and a pair of black Sermoneta gloves to cover Garner’s arms.

The indoor scene was filmed months before the actress would have to shoot an exterior shot on the streets of New York City in the middle of winter. “I was really trying to protect Julia from the freezing cold,” she says. “But I’m a big fan of the glove.”

The Saddest Robe

Paolo’s favorite costume from Inventing Anna isn’t a designer frock. It’s a white robe used in a pivotal moment in episode 6, in which Anna, trapped in a luxury Moroccan resort because she can’t pay her five-figure bill, realizes the jig is up. Paolo loves how Anna “devolves” in the scene, facing the consequences of her scamming for the first time. She’s not a criminal mastermind, but a frightened young woman in a foreign country. Paolo pointed out that everything Anna is wearing at that moment is property of the resort: “The hotel owns her, and they’re not going to let her leave” until she pays them.

Paolo and her team had a lot of discussions about what kind of robe would make Anna look frail: something silk? Terrycloth? Velour? “We went with the big fluffy robe,” she says. “I did like that Julia felt diminished in it. It’s overwhelming her, and that moment is overwhelming for Anna. There’s just something about her being wrapped in that robe that feels iconic for the character.”

Anna’s Courtroom Wardrobe

During her trial, Sorokin treated the courtroom as a runway. Her legal team hired celebrity stylist Anastasia Walker , who reportedly dressed Sorokin in designers such as Miu Miu, Michael Kors, Yves Saint Laurent, and Victoria Beckham. “We were reaching out to a lot of brands because it was quoted that she wore certain designers [during the trial]. But, in fact, she may not have,” Paolo says. “I’m not sure whether Anna was fibbing or the designers are not fessing to it. I don’t know what the deal is, but we think we got the right designers.”

There was one detail, though, that Paolo knew she couldn’t get wrong: Anna’s black choker. In nearly every photo from the trial, Sorokin is wearing a black ribbon around her neck. “She always wore that little choker. If you see pictures of her at parties, she wears it too,” Paolo says. “People did it in the ‘80s and in the ‘60s, but it’s not such a thing anymore. Maybe to her that felt European in a way.”

Prison, But Make It Fashion

In the miniseries, Anna tells Vivian ( Veep ’s Anna Chlumsky ), a journalist interviewing her in prison, that she “accessorized and pressed” her khaki prison jumpsuit. While it’s unlilely Sorokin was able to do this, Paolo ensured Anna’s jail clothes were always wrinkle-free. “We had more than one pair for the day so that Julia could change into a fresh-pressed pair before or after lunch,” she says. The other inmates wore rumpled oversized jumpsuits, which helped Anna look more put together in her large but tailored clothes.

All of the prison wear was stone washed, which is a laundering technique that uses large rocks to give a new garment a worn-in appearance. The process made the standardized clothing appear extra fashionable. “For me, it looks very Norma Kamali or ’80s Donna Karan,” Paolo says. “I feel like if I had added a black leather belt that I tied in a bow in the front, a pair of heels, and some cool earrings, she could have gone out in that.”

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Anna Sorokin has invented her next identity: Asylum seeker

Inside her strange life under house arrest in new york.

By Chloe Melas, CNN Photographs by Vincent Tullo for CNN Published June 23, 2023

Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, barefoot and clad in a bathrobe, walked quickly through the living room of her fifth-floor walkup apartment in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood. Stacks of books and newspapers occupied the small space in lieu of furniture. There was a hot pink neon sign adorning one wall with the phrase, "Happy F---ing Birthday," while empty pizza boxes leaned next to her front door. A notice on the entryway of her building stated the site was partially condemned, which Sorokin said was due to a broken trash chute.

The high-society scammer and convicted felon, who was dramatized in the 2022 Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” seemed to be in a hurry on the morning CNN spent with her in early June. But Sorokin had nowhere to go.

Convicted in 2019 of stealing more than $200,000 from financial institutions after pretending to be a German heiress with a trust fund that paid for a life of luxury in New York City, Sorokin has been under house arrest for the last eight months for overstaying her visa. She's confined to her apartment except for weekly visits to her parole officer and is prohibited from using social media. A GPS ankle monitor is her constant accessory.

Sorokin said she believes she belongs in New York and will hold out under house arrest for “as long as it takes,” while she appeals a deportation order to Germany where she was raised. Sorokin, born in Russia, was later naturalized as a German citizen, according to her attorney John Sandweg.

“There is evidence that demonstrates she would be deported from Germany to Russia and be persecuted,” Sandweg told CNN.

“I feel like, New York, if you have to be in house arrest anywhere, I think New York is like one of the better places for that,” Sorokin said.

She records a weekly podcast, hosts frequent guests and is able to order takeout from any restaurant of her choosing, but Sorokin said her current lifestyle has her emotionally like “somebody on your deathbed who people feel sorry for.”

“It's pretty upsetting to have to be here all day and not having an option to leave,” she said. “I think just mentally having to be in the same space all day, every day is taxing.”

Sorokin's situation is of her own making.

She first entered the national spotlight in a 2018 New York Magazine article in which her former friends described how they were scammed by her false stories and promises of a wealthy father who would cover her many debts. Her 2019 trial drew widespread attention, partly due to her over-the-top fashion choices in court. Sorokin was ultimately convicted of attempted grand larceny, three grand larceny counts and four misdemeanor charges of theft of service.

Then District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement at the time of her conviction, “As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade.” He thanked the jury, prosecutors and investigators for their “resolve to ensure that Sorokin faces real justice for her many thefts and lies.”

CNN reached out to Vance for comment on Sorokin's immigration case, but he did not respond.

The exploits of a 20-something con artist who lived in luxury hotels, traveled on a private plane and ingratiated herself into New York society caught the attention of Hollywood super producer Shonda Rhimes, who created “Inventing Anna.” Despite her ample free time, Sorokin said she still hasn't seen much of the series. Sorokin’s publicist told CNN that Netflix paid $320,000 toward her restitution for her story.

“It’s a bit cringy to watch a parody of myself,” Sorokin said, adding that she feels she's been turned into a “caricature.”

Sorokin served nearly all of her four-year prison sentence and was released in February 2021, but was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement the following month. She spent 18 months at the Orange County Correctional Facility in upstate New York, fighting deportation before she was released on a $10,000 bond last October.

Sorokin’s immigration attorney told CNN in a written statement that Anna ”is subject to extremely unusual and restrictive release conditions that prevent her from leaving her apartment or using social media.”

“We are optimistic that the Board of Immigration Appeals will agree that this home confinement is unnecessary, and that the social media ban infringes on her right to free speech, but Anna is required to adhere to these conditions while the case remains on appeal,” Sandweg added.

When reached for comment by CNN, a spokesperson for ICE did not comment on Sorokin’s case and directed us to the Executive Office for Immigration [EOIR], who referred CNN to the Department of Homeland Security, who directed us back to EOIR.

“I go through phases where I think this is just unbearable. And why should I be the only person under such conditions?” Sorokin said.

ICE used GPS ankle monitors in around 41,000 immigration cases in 2022, according to research by Syracuse University.

When pushed to explain what she meant by being singled out, Sorokin responded that the general public “automatically associate(s)” someone on house arrest or wearing an ankle bracelet ”with some crimes.”

“I’m wearing an ankle bracelet purely for immigration purposes,” Sorokin added. “There is no real reason for me to be on house arrest because I'm not a threat to public safety.”

“I don’t understand how me being on house arrest would prevent me from defrauding people,” Sorokin said, adding she had no plans to do so. “A geek could defraud people from anywhere in the world. You don't have to be in any location, period.”

Michael Wildes, an immigration lawyer and former federal prosecutor who reviewed Sorokin’s deportation appeal, called her asylum claim “questionable.” He is not involved in her case.

“We cannot forget that persons convicted of serious crimes, like Anna, place the United States in jeopardy,” Wildes told CNN. “Our asylum laws were drafted to protect people from torture in their home countries, and not to create a safe haven for criminals. Our immigration system may be broken in many ways, but we won't fix it by keeping Anna here.”

When asked repeatedly if Sorokin had remorse for the crimes she committed, her responses were vague.

“I’m just trying to learn from my mistakes and move on. I obviously made a lot of bad choices,” she said. “I regret a lot of things I’ve done in the past.”

Yet after her conviction and the countless articles about her case, Sorokin denied that she ever described herself as an heiress and said her “intentions were never to deceive anybody.”

CNN reached out to Rachel Williams, a former friend who Sorokin left with a $62,000 credit card bill, but she did not respond. (Sorokin was found not guilty of a criminal count related to Williams, and a credit card company ultimately agreed to remove the charges after the verdict.) In the meantime, Williams said in legal filings she was “forced to borrow money to pay her rent and living expenses, and suffered great stress as a result of these debts and Sorokin’s repeated failures to keep her promises of reimbursement.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair last year, Williams described the experience with Sorokin as “the hardest thing I’ve gone through — the betrayal as much as the money.”

“Having been betrayed by someone I trusted — and to have been betrayed in a huge way. Her entire identity had been a complete sham. That really sends you into a ricochet of memories, looking back trying to look for all the signs you missed,” Williams said.

While Sorokin tries to distance herself from her past, she is planning for her future. She paints to pay her bills, claiming she does not receive outside help and that her artwork sells from $5,000 to $25,000.

”I’m paying for everything myself and it's mostly coming from my art,” she said.

If she's allowed to stay in the US, Sorokin said she already knows what she'd like to do next.

“I’d love to move away from entertainment because that was never really my ambition to be famous,” she said. “I’d love to do something like an intersection between law and finance ... I am actually planning on doing an apprenticeship, maybe at a law firm.”

When asked what type of law interests her, she replied without irony, ”cross border risks.”

For now, Sorokin is staying put and waiting out her appeal.

“I’m definitely sad but I'm a hopeful person,” she said. “I have faith that I'll figure something out.”

Hoe gaat het nu met de échte Anna Sorokin aka Delvey?

Het leven na 'Inventing Anna' gaat gewoon door...

We zijn al weken in de ban van het verhaal van Anna Delvey. Of moeten we Anna Sorokin zeggen? Haar intrigerende verhaal werd door Netflix in negen afleveringen samengevat, maar haar leven gaat ook los van de serie verder. Hoe gaat het nu met Anna?

Wat doet de échte Anna Sorokin nu?

Toen Anna Sorokin zich tussen 2013 en 2017 voordeed als een rijke Duitse erfgename, leefde ze als jonge it-girl tussen de hoogste kringen van New York s elite. De slinkse Anna bouwde een gigantisch sociaal netwerk op en zorgde dat ze met iedere belangrijke persoon op de foto stond, bij iedere opvallende opening aanwezig was en sliep in de duurste hotels — alles om iedereen te doen geloven dat ze inderdaad die rijke miljonairsdochter was. Haar high-society bubbel barstte toen ze werd in 2017 werd opgepakt voor het oplichten van talloze dure hotels, luxe restaurants, banken en een privéjetoperator voor meer dan 200.000 dollar.

De van oorsprong in Rusland geboren Anna bracht twee jaar door in de gevangenis in Rikers Island, voordat ze in 2019 officieel werd veroordeeld voor fraude en, naast een boete, een celstraf opgelegd kreeg van vier tot twaalf jaar. Die bracht ze door in de vrouwengevangenis in Albion in New York, maar in februari 2021 kwam ze weer op vrije voeten wegens goed gedrag. Wat gebeurde er vanaf toen?

Hier bevindt Anna Sorokin zich nu

Eenmaal op vrije voeten, leek het alsof Anna snel haar it-girl leventje weer wilde oppakken. Ze leefde zich meteen weer uit op sociale media — vooral Twitter — en waagde ze zich weer in de straten van New York. Haar plezier was alleen van korte duur: zes weken na haar vrijlating werd Anna door de Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in hechtenis genomen omdat haar visum verviel. Zelf zegt ze dat dit niet met opzet was en buiten haar controle lag. Ze ging in hoger beroep maar tot op heden mocht dat niet baten. Anna, die zichzelf nog steeds ziet als legitieme onderneemster, vecht op dit moment namelijk nog steeds tegen de uitzetting terug naar Duitsland.

De hele ontwikkeling van de populaire Netflixserie 'Inventing Anna' over haar eigen leven, maakte ze dus mee vanachter de tralies van Orange Country in New York. Tralies of niet, ze laat het er niet bij zitten en doet ze veel moeite om haar naam te zuiveren. Ze schrijft een brief naar The Insider waarin ze zich onder andere uitlaat over haar zes weken van vrijheid: 'Ik heb in die zes weken, die volgens de ICE blijkbaar lang genoeg waren om mij vrij te houden, meer bereikt dan sommige mensen in de afgelopen twee jaar'. Há, zo kennen we Anna weer.

Of ze de serie 'Inventing Anna' ook gaat kijken? Daar lijkt het niet op. Los van het feit dat ze in de hechtenis geen toegang heeft tot laptop of tv, zegt ze in dezelfde brief dat ze 'ook al zou ze het voor elkaar krijgen om te kunnen kijken, het in niets aantrekkelijk voor haar is om een fictieve versie van haarzelf te zien vanuit de criminele-krankzinnige omgeving' waar ze volgens haar inzit. Het glamoureuze leventje van Anna lijkt officieel voorbij. To be continued...

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Libertà per Anna Delvey!

La vicenda realmente accaduta della protagonista della serie netflix «inventing anna», artista della truffa e «falsa ereditiera tedesca», mette in luce le ipocrisie del capitalismo: chi sono i veri profittatori.

Nella serie Netflix Inventing Anna , dopo che una rivista ha pubblicato la drammatica storia dell’impressionante frode messa in atto da Anna Sorokin, una donna esce da un negozio indossando una maglietta con la scritta «Falsa ereditiera tedesca». Chi non vorrebbe essere una falsa ereditiera tedesca?

La scena coglie il divertimento e l’ammirazione che si trova dietro la risposta del pubblico a questa storia di vita reale. Inventing Anna , una serie televisiva leggermente romanzata basata sulla lunga storia di copertina su una rivista newyorkese firmata da Jessica Pressler, racconta l’ascesa e la caduta di Anna Delvey, al secolo Anna Sorokin, una giovane donna di classe media di origine russa che, fingendo di essere un’ereditiera tedesca, ha vissuto alla grande per circa quattro anni, frequentando la gente ricca e famosa di Manhattan. L’hanno presa sul serio come cliente persino le principali banche e hedge fund, incluso un fondo chiamato Fortress.

In Inventing Anna ci sono i vestiti più belli mai visti in una serie, più belli anche di quelli di Sex and the City . La fonte di piacere ancora più grande, tuttavia, è la faccia tosta di Anna Delvey. Ruba un jet privato. Usa lo yacht di una vera ereditiera senza permesso. Soggiorna in alcuni degli hotel più eleganti di New York senza pagare.

Sorokin sapeva come comportarsi da ricca. Ne aveva il senso senza possederne il titolo. Come ha notato Pressler nel suo articolo sul New York magazine, Anna Sorokin non era particolarmente carina, affascinante e nemmeno simpatica. Eppure le persone erano attratte da lei. Ai ricchi piaceva perché sembrava avere un capitale sociale. I capitalisti della finanza pensavano che avrebbero fatto soldi con lei (e alcuni pensavano che sarebbero diventati ancora più ricchi sposandola). Anna Delvey ha creato con successo intorno a sé un’atmosfera da ricca. Ha distribuito generose mance in contanti. I suoi vestiti erano perfetti. Soprattutto è arrivata vicina a convincere i principali hedge fund a investire milioni di dollari nella sua start-up, uno spazio artistico internazionale esclusivo (pensate a una cosa tipo la Soho House più arte e cultura, o a Fotografiska senza i professionisti). Ha usato un’app di distorsione vocale e un telefono cellulare per impersonare il suo «banchiere di famiglia», un tedesco inventato.

Sebbene la serie sia leggermente romanzata – alcuni personaggi sono composti mescolando più identità, alcuni incidenti inventati – tutte le parti migliori e meno credibili sono vere. Si è davvero avvicinata a ottenere prestiti bancari enormi. Ha fatto festa con Martin Shkreli , il depravato pharma bro . Il truffatore del Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, è stato davvero per un po’ il suo compagno di stanza.

Sfortunatamente, Inventing Anna si concentra troppo sulle battaglie di una noiosa giornalista di New York City (scusate, la mia gente non fa parte di una fascia demografica avvincente o sottoesposta). I normali professionisti con problemi normali in appartamenti normali non possono competere con le avventure di Delvey e la tentata frode finanziaria a Balenciaga, Marocco, o Ibiza. La serie invece sviluppa molteplici intuizioni noiose: è difficile per le giovani donne entrare nella finanza; tutti mentono un po’; tutti si agitano (molto noiose le discussioni morali su come l’avvocato e la giornalista stiano usando Anna per portare avanti le proprie carriere, e troppi i cliché su come tutti a New York siano alla moda). E non dimentichiamo l’altra falsa riflessione: «chi può dirsi autentico in questa era dei social media»?

Queste narrazioni inventate non hanno senso. A un certo punto il personaggio della giornalista – Vivian Kent, basata su Jessica Pressler – dice che la storia di Anna parla di «identità sotto il capitalismo o qualcosa del genere», ed è l’unico momento divertente in cui la serie prende in giro lodevolmente il proprio stesso tentativo di apparire impegnata. Ma concentrandosi su lezioni convenzionali e drammi individuali, Inventing Anna smorza la dimensione più irresistibile della storia di Delvey, vale a dire l’ambiguità morale che incorpora. Chi merita la ricchezza? Nessuno eppure tutti, ed è per questo che amiamo Anna Delvey.

Le persone cercano gli abiti dell’aula di tribunale di Delvey su Instagram e indossano magliette con la scritta «Falsa ereditiera tedesca» perché Delvey ha svelato le vuote mitologie sulla ricchezza del sistema capitalista. L’industria della cultura normalmente veicola racconti sul duro lavoro di enorme successo portato avanti da piccole persone che vengono dal nulla. Questo è proprio ciò che Anna Sorokin sperava di essere. Nel mondo moderno, la nascita non dovrebbe determinare il nostro accesso alle opportunità e al denaro, ma è proprio quello che accade. La sua storia è illuminante anche a proposito dell’atteggiamento della nostra società nei confronti della ricchezza ereditata: glorifichiamo chi si è fatto da sé e prendiamo in giro coloro che hanno «fondi fiduciari», ma Sorokin avrebbe avuto molte opportunità in più se fosse davvero nata con milioni e milioni di dollari. Ciò rivela che la narrazione del farsi da soli è una fatua melassa sentimentale.

Sotto il capitalismo contemporaneo, il denaro dovrebbe essere una questione di merito: dovrebbe essere uno dei grandi progressi del capitalismo rispetto al feudalesimo. Ma ciò non è mai accaduto, perché, ovviamente, è il denaro che produce denaro. Sarebbe difficile sostenere che i meriti di Delvey – creatività, ambizione, conoscenza dell’arte, buon gusto – fossero inferiori a quelli delle persone con cui ha socializzato o dei banchieri da cui ha cercato di ottenere finanziamenti. Anna Sorokin meritava meno di un vero ricco di salire su un jet privato o andare in vacanza su uno yacht?

I veri profittatori degli hedge fund che è arrivata vicino a defraudare – come Fortress – meritano i loro soldi più di questa ragazza immigrata, creativa e intelligente con un grande sogno? Ovviamente no. In questo paese è legale e socialmente accettabile trarre profitto distruggendo la qualità dell’assistenza sanitaria, depredando il pianeta, privatizzando i servizi pubblici o sfruttando i lavoratori e le lavoratrici. Il fatto che una giovane donna sia in prigione per aver detto alcune falsità a uomini la cui ricchezza dipende da tali crimini dice molto di più sulla vacuità morale del capitalismo che sulle carenze morali di Anna Delvey.

E che dire delle donne ereditiere truffate attraverso le loro carte di credito da Delvey? Si può empatizzare con il sentimento di tradimento da parte di un amico di qualsiasi essere umano, ma le vere ereditiere non meritano quei vestiti e quegli yacht più di quanto lo meriti Delvey.

La maggior parte di noi sente istintivamente che Delvey aveva ragione a non lasciarsi intimidire dai ricchi, a dire a un’ereditiera quale dipinto comprare, a entrare in un hotel di lusso e pensare mi merito tutto questo e altro .

La storia di Anna Delvey è inebriante, ma ha un finale oscuro che continua ancora oggi. Nella vita reale e nello show, Anna è andata in prigione per molteplici condanne per frode. Poco dopo aver scontato la pena, è stata arrestata dall’Immigration and customs enforcement per un visto scaduto e mentre scrivo è ancora in stato di detenzione. Questa violenza di stato viene perpetrata contro Sorokin solo per una ragione: non è stata abbastanza fortunata. Se fosse riuscita a ingannare le banche e gli hedge fund, se avesse finanziato la sua attività e ne avesse avuto successo, a nessuno sarebbe importato del fatto che non era una vera ereditiera tedesca. Gli investitori sarebbero diventati ancora più ricchi. Ora sarebbe «legittimamente» ricca, le voci e le domande sulle sue vere origini rimarrebbero ma si aggiungerebbero solo alla sua mistica. Riceverebbe comunque inviti a tutte le feste.

Sorokin si trova in prigione mentre i finanzieri che ha defraudato rimangono impuniti. Molti di loro sono senza dubbio implicati in crimini peggiori, ma finora hanno avuto più fortuna.

* Liza Featherstone è editorialista di Jacobin , giornalista freelance e autrice di  Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers ’Rights at Wal-Mart . Questo articolo è uscito  su  JacobinMag . La traduzione è a cura della redazione .

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