Why is Anna Delvey’s frenemy suing Netflix? Explained

Anna Delvey's former friend, Rachel DeLoache Williams, a Vanity Fair photo editor, is still suing Netflix over her alleged wrongful depiction in their hit 2022 series, Inventing Anna. Williams filed the lawsuit against the network on August 29, 2022, and is still fighting for the scales to tip in her favor, as per Variety.

The original lawsuit was filed on the grounds that Netflix deliberately tried to tarnish Williams' image by her fictional depiction in the show.

Her case states that:

"..Netflix made a deliberate decision for dramatic purposes to show Williams doing or saying things in the Series which portray her as a greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative and opportunistic person."

Additionally, Williams' attorney Alexander Rufus-Isaacs states that Netflix decided to use Williams' real name on the show out of a personal vendetta. He states:

"The devastating damage to her reputation could have been avoided if only Netflix had used a fictitious name and different details. Why didn’t they do this for her, when they did for so many other characters in the Series? Perhaps the reason was that she had chosen to play for the other team, i.e., HBO."

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Rachel DeLoache Williams is suing Netflix over inaccurate representation in Investing Anna

A former friend of con artist and fraudster Anna Delvey's close circle, Rachel DeLoache Williams took Netflix to court over her portrayal in Inventing Anna, the 2022 series chronicling Anna Delvey's controversial life. She filed a lawsuit against the company in 2022 alleging misleading representation.

Her case has maintained that her depiction in the show has caused damage to her reputation which could have been avoided if the show-makers had gone with a different name for her fictional (partly real) character, like it did for some of the other characters in the show.

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How did Rachel DeLoache Williams and Anna Delvey meet?

According to court records, Rachel DeLoache Williams and Anna Delvey got acquainted with one another in 2016 when Williams was working as a photo editor in New York for Vanity Fair. The two became friends only in 2017 when Anna Delvey was living off suitcases and residing in a lavish hotel in Manhattan.

According to Williams, at the time, Delvey claimed to be a German heiress with significant financial prowess and social capital. Williams also added that Delvey followed a lifestyle that would attest to the same. However, that was far from the real truth.

The documents state that Anna Delvey's attempts at maintaining the facade of a rich socialite rained down heavily on her as she was constantly bombarded with huge bills that indefinitely remained unpaid.

During Delvey's trial, Williams testified against her and also coordinated with the authorities to provide substantial proof against her that was important in her sentencing.

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What has Rachel DeLoache Williams said about Inventing Anna chronicling Anna Delvey's life?

To commemorate the success of her book My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress chronicling Willams' and Delvey's former friendship and the latter's fraudulent tendencies, Williams wrote an article for Air Mail Weekly on February 5, 2022. In the article, she referred to Netflix's Inventing Anna and said:

"Netflix isn’t just putting out a fictional story. It’s effectively running a con woman’s P.R.—and putting money in her pocket."

William made the aforementioned comments in relation to the hefty amount that was paid to Delvey for the rights to her story. She was allegedly paid an amount of $320,000 by Netflix for Inventing Anna.

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All episodes of Inventing Anna are currently streaming on Netflix.