Yes, Inventing Anna is a true story. Here’s what they got wrong.

There’s a new Netflix true crime series titled Inventing Anna and it is about the con artist Anna Sorokin aka Anna Delvey who is a well-known fraudster that conned New York high society out of thousands of dollars.

Since the shows release, it has certainly been the subject of conversation and many people have some thoughts surrounding the details from the show.

For starters, many have wondered if the story about Anna is in fact true and if so, how much of the series was true?

Is Inventing Anna a true story?

Yes, Inventing Anna is based off a true story. However, the Netflix series got a lot of the story wrong. In fact, the show itself has a disclaimer: “This whole story is completely true,” “Except for all the parts that are totally made up.”

What did Inventing Anna Get Wrong?

The series seems to mix stories of real-life characters along with fictional ones that were made up for the series and that has ruffled some feathers.

There are also several key points in Inventing Anna where Netflix got details wrong. These include:

Anna being portrayed as a hero instead of a criminal

Rachel DeLoache Williams (ex-friend of Anna) wrote about her experience of being scammed by Anna in a 2019 book titled My Friend Anna. After seeing the series, Rachel says the show seems to portray Anna as a hero instead of the fraud and a criminal.

In an interview to Vanity Fair, Rachel said:

“I think promoting this whole narrative and celebrating a sociopathic, narcissistic, proven criminal is wrong,”

“Having had a front-row seat to [the Anna circus] for far too long, I’ve studied the way a con works more than anybody needs to. You watch the spectacle, but you’re not paying attention to what’s being marketed.”

The name of the journalist who wrote about Anna Delvey

The name of the journalist in Inventing Anna was called Vivian Kent who worked for Manhattan Magazine. In real life, the journalists name is Jessica Pressler who worked for New York Magazine.

Anna didn’t get special treatment in prison

Inventing Anna showcases Anna as a person that received special treatment in prison by receiving a private room with tea when she was visiting with Vivian.

In real life, Anna herself has confirmed this wasn’t a thing and instead, there was access to a cash-only coffee machine.

The journalist didn’t break into Anna’s family home

In episode 8 of Inventing Anna, Vivian Kent is seen taking a trip to Germany to try and interview Anna’s family. It also makes it seem as-if she breaks into the family home.

In real life, Jessica Pressler did take this trip but Anna’s family was expecting Jessica and she did not break into the home.

Jessica told Vulture she “definitely did not try to break into anyone’s home” and “there was a lot more laughing” during her real life trip.

The courtroom wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed

Inventing Anna showed us a courtroom that looked like a Queen could visit but in reality, Anna was tried in the New York Supreme Court which is known for having dull, classroom looking rooms.

Only some details about Anna’s boyfriend are factual

In the show, Anna is seen dating this guy named Chase who is a wealthy entrepreneur that works in tech and is developing his own app called “Wake”.

In real life, nobody truly knows who this guy is as his identity hasn’t been released. Many rumors have sparked who it could be but nobody knows for sure. I mean, is he even real?

So, now that you know what Netflix got wrong in Inventing Anna, how do you feel about the series?