Netflix's Inventing Anna, focused on the true story of Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin), is based on a New York article by Jessica Pressler, and stars Ozark's Julia Garner as the titular Anna.
In real life, Sorokin pretended to be a wealthy heiress named Anna Delvey, claiming to be worth $60 million with a European trust fund. The charade lasted for five years between 2013 and 2017, and Sorokin was eventually arrested for fraud – with the total funds gained clocking in at a massive $275,000. She was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to four to 12 years in prison.
Where is Anna Delvey now?
Is Anna Delvey in prison? The answer to that question is actually pretty complicated.
In February 2021, Sorokin was released on parole early for good behavior after serving three years of her sentence. According to the BBC, Sorokin used some of the $320,000 paid to her by Netflix for her life story to repay banks she had defrauded.
She spent around one month free before promptly being re-arrested, this time by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in March 2021 for overstaying her visa. But, as pointed out by The Independent, Sorokin apparently still has access to her Instagram account and updates regularly – she has even posted a screenshot of an article she wrote for Insider.
"My visa overstay was unintentional and largely out of my control. I served my prison sentence, but I'm appealing my criminal conviction to clear my name," Sorokin wrote in the article. "I did not break a single one of New York state's or ICE's parole rules. Despite all that, I've yet to be given a clear and fair path to compliance."
She is now facing deportation to Germany, but has applied for asylum. According to Esquire, who viewed court documents, Sorokin is seeking asylum due to a "fear of returning to Germany," after Sorokin and her family have apparently been on the receiving end of threats "due to the media coverage of her crimes," and Sorokin is scared she'll be "retaliated against for embarrassing her country."
Her application was denied in June 2021, but Sorokin appealed. She is currently still behind bars in New York. At the moment, the outcome of the appeal is unclear, so who knows if Sorokin will eventually be deported or will remain in the US.
For now, though, you can watch all 9 episodes of Inventing Anna on Netflix, and if you're caught up, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows streaming now to fill out your watchlist.
