Inventing AnnaTrue Story: Everything to Know About Anna Delvey

Mar. 15, 2025

Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin arriving in court during her sentencing at the Manhattan Supreme Court on May 9, 2019; Actress Julia Garner as Anna Delvery in Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna’ series.Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty; Nicole Rivelli/Netflix

Netflix’s true-crime miniseriesInventing Annacaptivated audiences when it premiered in February 2022.

The limited series starringJulia Garnertells the wild true story of fraudster Anna Sorokin, whoposed as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delveywhile living in New York City.

In addition to scamming countless wealthy socialites, Sorokin also swindled several prominent banks and hotels during her time in the Big Apple.

Read on to learn more about the true story of Anna Delvey.

Who is Anna Delvey?

Anna Sorokin seen in the courtroom during her trial at the New York State Supreme Court in New York on April 11, 2019.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, was born on Jan. 23, 1991, in Domodedovo, a Russian town outside of Moscow, but predominantly grew up in Germany. She and her brother wereraised in a middle-class family; her father drove a truck and her mother once owned a small convenience store.

At age 19, Sorokin left Germany to pursue a fashion degree in Paris and eventually took on the name Anna Delvey. In summer 2013, she attended Fashion Week in New York on behalf ofPurplemagazine, where she was working at the time, and eventually opted to live in the city.

What crimes did Anna Delvey commit?

While in N.Y.C., Sorokin paraded as a wealthy German heiress to infiltrate herself into the inner circle of the city’s biggest socialites. During her time in the city,she scammed countless people, hotels, and banks, often using invalid credit cards or fake bank statements to create the illusion of wealth. She even created the idea of the Anna Delvey Foundation, a private club and art foundation, to entice wealthy donors and further her brand.

After bouncing from hotel to hotel and repeatedly not paying her bills, Sorokin was evicted from several of them. In October 2017, Sorokin wasarrested during a sting operation. At the time, she was staying at an addiction treatment facility in Los Angeles County, Calif. During her prosecution, it was estimated that she stole around $275,000.

On April 25, 2019,Sorokin was found guilty of eight chargesin the State Supreme Court in Manhattan, including attempted grand larceny in the first degree, grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, and theft of services. That May,she was sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay restitution of about $199,000.

Where is Anna Delvey now?

After her trial, Sorokin was sent to Bedford Hills Correctional Facility before being transferred to Albion Correctional Facility in New York. In February 2021,she was released early from prisonand immediately returned to Instagram.

On Oct. 5, 2022,Sorokin was granted releasefrom an ICE facility in Orange County, N.Y.,Bloomberg reported.

As part of her release, per Bloomberg, she had to pay a $10,000 bail and was banned from social media, where she often shared posts showing off her seemingly lavish lifestyle for her friends and potential investors.

In July 2023, Sorokin announced her foray into music,releasing a song titled “What the Hell?”with TikTok star and country singer Brooke Butler. The track is the theme song for Sorokin’sThe Anna Delvey Showpodcast, which she launched that June.

Besides music, the convicted con artist has also dabbled in the fashion industry. In September 2023, Sorokin teamed with fashion public relations pro Kelly Cutrone toform the OutLaw Agency, which hosteda rooftop fashion showin N.Y.C. for up-and-coming fashion designer Shao Yang’s eponymous label, SHAO.

Sorokin resides in the East Village in N.Y.C., whereshe remains under house arrestas of February 2024,according to theDaily Mail.

Despite her house arrest, Sorokin was given permission to compete on season 33 ofDancing With the Stars,which premiered in September 2024.

“I had torequest ICE for permissionto travel out of state because its being filmed in Los Angeles and I’m based in New York,” she told PEOPLE. “It took them about 10 days to get it through the system and to get everything approved.”

Part of that approval required Sorokin to wear an ankle monitor while appearing on the show, though the costume designers were able to craft a bedazzled “detachable sleeve” for the hardware that would match her costume.

Ultimately, Sorokin’s stint onDWTSwas short lived, and she and partner Ezra Sosa were eliminated in the first week of the competition. When hostJulianne Houghasked her what she’d be taking from the show now that her time on stage was over, she replied, “nothing.”

Did Netflix pay Anna Delvey forInventing Anna?

In January 2021,Business Insider (then Insider) reportedthat Netflix paid Sorokin $320,000 for the rights to adapt her life story forInventing Anna. The publication also reported that Sorokin used $199,000 of the money she received from Netflix to pay restitution to the banks she owes, plus another $24,000 to settle state fines.

Inan open letter for Insiderin February 2022, Sorokin expressed her thoughts on the Netflix series, noting that “nothing about seeing a fictionalized version of myself in this criminal-insane-asylum setting sounds appealing to me.”

source: people.com