“The story of Anna Delvey is true except for the parts that are made up.” This riveting disclaimer appears at the beginning of each episode of the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” that makes you wonder what in the story actually is true. The show revolves around Anna, played by Julia Garner who pretends to be a trust fund German heiress. Not only does she fake her way to the peak of the New York social scene, she manipulated her way to the top of the business world. 

After watching the show, my burning question is why is Anna so adamant on proving her innocence when the evidence is so clearly damning, and she knows it?

In the show, Anna explains her innocence multiple times to different people throughout the series saying she really is a smart woman, and that she knows what she is talking about. “I am not a criminal,” or so she says. While the viewer has to wait until the last episode to find out why she is adamant about her innocence, the real lure to the show is Anna’s (and Garner’s) acting ability. 

In the show, Anna’s ability to lie her way to these wealthy people is incredible. After watching the show, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about people lying to me or scamming money from me, as if I have 40 million dollars to give her. 

The way that Anna Delvey executed her plan was intricate. Garner plays Anna so perfectly, from her crazy, random accent to her body language. From what interviews and people have explained, Garner was a carbon copy of Anna. 

If no one told you that she was just acting, you would believe that this was the real deal. Garner and Anna sat down with each other multiple times before filming the show to just get a better understanding of each other, and in my opinion seeing her face to face might have helped Garner tremendously. 

If you haven’t seen the show, each episode thoroughly explains her relationships with the people she took the most money from and the people “closest to her.” 

Chase, Anna’s boyfriend, used Anna’s business to make connections for his startup, while she simultaneously used him for the luxurious life he was able to give her, until he went broke. 

Neff, a hotel employee, was tipped in hundreds by Anna during a 4-month stay in a NYC hotel. She became friendly with Anna and was robbed of their friendship when Anna was found out and sent to prison. 

Nora, Kacy, and Rachel were robbed both financially and of their friendship. Anna leads a picture of loyalty to her friends but ultimately breaks their trust because of how she uses them. 

The people who she victimized and her “friends,” knew there was something off about her. Little did they know she was committing a white collar crime. 

The central character Jessica Pressler, portrayed by Vivian Kent, works at New York Magazine. She hears about the trial and works to contact as many people as she can to find out about Anna.

When her article was published, Anna was furious. Getting jail calls from Anna, Jessica decided that when the trial came she needed to report about it.

This show is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. I felt immersed in the story of Anna but cannot fathom what it would be like to be her. 

In February of 2021, Anna was released for good behavior after nearly four years, in Albion Correctional Facility in New York. After getting out, she returned to Instagram. You can see what she is up to @theannadelvey. 

A month after being let out, she was taken into custody through ICE for overstaying her Visa. She is currently awaiting deportation to Germany.