Rachel Williams sues Netflix for defamation over 'Inventing Anna' portrayal
MANILA, Philippines — Netflix has found itself in the middle of another lawsuit, this time filed by former Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel DeLoache Williams over how she was portrayed in the streaming platform's limited series "Inventing Anna."
The show covers the life story of Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, who scammed New York's high society and dodged having to pay hotels, restaurants, and banks, among others.
Sorokin is portrayal by Julia Garner while Williams — a former friend of the con artist — is played by Katie Lowes, whose portrayal the complaint said is depicted as a "greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative, and opportunistic person" as deliberately dramatized by Netflix.
The 59-page filed document claims the portrayal of Williams is defamatory "because they tend to expose her to public contempt, ridicule, aversion or disgrace, or to induce an evil opinion of her."
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Because of the miniseries' popularity since it dropped on Netflix earlier this February, Williams is said to have been "the subject of thousands of such abusive messages" from Internet users.
The lawsuit also has an injunction that the alleged defamatory material of Williams should be edited out, and seeks a jury trial and an unspecified amount for damages.
Adding fuel to the fire is that Williams is the only person in "Inventing Anna" accurately named and based on a real person apart from the titular character; additionally, Williams had previously sold the rights to her involvements in the scam to HBO.
Lowes, Garner, showrunner Shonda Rhimes and production company Shondaland are not named in the lawsuit, only Netflix.
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