Inventing Anna

This whole story,

the one you're about to sit on your fat ass

and watch like a big lump of nothing, is about me.

Ew! Not her.

Me.

You know me.

Everyone knows me.

I'm an icon.

A legend.

The fake heiress allegedly scammed her way

through thousands of dollars

in gourmet meals, luxury hotel rooms and private jet flights.

Sources say she also conned Manhattan's glitterati,

leaving egg on the faces of society's biggest players

from the art world, real-estate, fashion and Wall Street.

That part's all lies, you know. I did nothing wrong.

This is bullshit.

Anna Delvey's a masterpiece, bitches, and they can all just fu...

I work for my success.

I earn my accomplishments.

Pay attention.

Maybe you'll learn how to be smart like me.

I doubt it, but you can dream.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office

is pleased to announce the indictment of Anna Sorokin.

Miss Sorokin is also known by the alias Anna Delvey.

Miss Sorokin is charged

in a New York State Supreme Court indictment

with two counts of attempted grand larceny in the first degree,

three counts of grand larceny in the second degree

and one count of grand larceny third degree, and theft of services.

Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies

while posing as a socialite

in an attempt to steal millions and millions of dollars.

Investigations into her further criminal activity are ongoing.

If you believe you may have been a victim of this defendant,

I urge you to call the financial fraud hotline.

Thank you.

Are you reading it?

That girl's back in New York.

I can't believe it. How do you think they caught her?

Karma, honey.

The universe corrects all wrongs.

We need to drink about Anna. Did you see the article?

I never met her.

We never met her.

Darling, it was in the papers.

This could turn into a big, uh, thing.

I have no desire to be humiliated.

It was one story, one reporter. The Post of all places.

I mean, no one else is going to pick this up.

And why would they?

Who on Earth would be interested in lowly Anna Delvey?

- Nora. Hello, dear. - Hmm.

- You see anything? - No assignments on the board yet.

I'm saying it now.

They give me Melania, I'm jumping.

I will not write any more Melania stories.

I miss writing about the Obamas.

I might have a story.

I was thinking, "What the hell, go in there and pitch it."

- Yeah, get in there. Go. - Go for it.

- Take a shot. - Why not?

Okay.

- Come on. - Okay, fuck it. I'm going in.

- You got it. - Yeah.

Oh, no. I can't watch.

Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.

Vivian. Uh, we're having a meeting.

I know, and before you got too far,

I wanted to put in a bid for my next story.

What am I looking at?

Her name is Anna Delvey, or Anna Sorokin, no one's sure.

She's either a mega rich German heiress,

or she's flat broke, and maybe she's Russian.

- Vivian, I... - That's the point, no one knows.

Whoever she is, the DA's office just extradited her from LA

and she's being arraigned today.

I'm going down to the courthouse now, so I'm already late.

- I'll be on that. - Landon...

- Vivian! - She's on the Wall Street #MeToo story.

And do I really need to be?

- Mmm. That story is... - Why are you complaining this time?

I gave you something riveting and provocative.

Yeah, thanks.

I'm asking to be on this instead, Landon.

- Paul assigns your stories. - Okay, but this is a cover story.

- A dumb socialite. - I don't think so.

Just give me a chance to get an interview.

Vivian, uh...

The indictment reads like a novel.

The charges, the arena, the players are insane.

We're talking big banks, financial advisors, hedge funds,

law firms, real-estate developers, philanthropists, galleries,

art dealers, all of Fashion Week,

and half of New York society, and she's 26 years old.

I couldn't tie my own shoes at 26. You know I give good story.

Let me do this.

Paul assigns your stories.

Wall Street, #MeToo.

Fine.

I want copy in three weeks.

No problem.

We want her remanded, Your Honor.

No bail? Come on!

Your Honor, we all know the reason she is in court

is because you allowed us to hunt and capture her.

Remand is warranted, Your Honor.

- Your Honor, she's... - She's a flight risk. DA's office will ask

for a substantial prison sentence in this case.

Remand is more than appropriate in this case.

My client has every intention of coming back to court.

Your Honor, she's a young, vulnerable, nonviolent offender.

Set a reasonable bail and I will surrender her passport,

and then she will be able to assist me in her own defense,

which will take a tremendous amount of work, given the financial charges.

Miss Sorokin, Mr. Spodek asked me to consider bail.

I am. I have.

I have no confidence whatsoever

in you returning to this jurisdiction to face the music.

None, zero.

I am remanding you to Rikers Island until trial.

Remand, take charge.

- You put up a good fight in there. - Thanks.

I can't imagine a young woman her age having to spend time at Rikers like that.

Happens.

I didn't notice if she had family in the courtroom.

I have no comment.

- I didn't ask for one. - But you were going to.

Just wondering if you have any idea how she got mixed up in all of this.

No comment.

Those are some pretty serious charges

and they involve two of the world's largest banks, not to mention Fortress.

Fortress is true power player private equity.

That is not a sandbox most 26-year-olds would ever play in,

would ever even know existed, but she did.

How did she know Fortress?

No comment.

I just... I would really love an opportunity to sit down with Anna.

That won't happen.

The Post has done two stories calling her a "wannabe socialite."

No one reads The Post.

Jurors read The Post, and The Post is making fun of her.

Dumb socialite? There's no way they have it right.

That girl is not dumb. I don't know what, but not dumb.

- Look, I... - She deserves to have her story told.

One interview. All I'm asking is that you talk to her.

Let her decide.

Who are you?

Vivian Kent. Vivian.

Vivian Kent, Vivian.

I'm going to keep walking in this direction, and you are not.

I'm sorry.

I was sitting in a waiting room full of pregnant women, by myself.

I'm so, so, so sorry.

I spent the afternoon looking like some

molesting pregnancy fetish pervert to everyone at Dr. Harris' office.

Forks.

Again, I am sorry.

- I just... just got caught up. - Not enough.

It's a good story. Anna's really a...

I don't know. She's remarkable.

Anna's in jail. You know what's remarkable?

Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, working for what you have,

showing up to ultrasound appointments.

This was worth missing an appointment about genitals.

All right.

Go.

Fortress.

No one gets into Fortress without keys, and the only keys are money or power.

If Anna did it, she displayed some amazing financial talents.

Even if she didn't do it,

she displayed some amazing financial talents.

Plus, she was in New York society.

That's, like, a closed world.

Either she truly belonged there or she fooled her way in.

One way or the other it's a real story.

You should've seen Paul's face. "Wall Street, #MeToo." Bleurgh!

You know, you don't have to put up with Paul.

Oh, my God, please don't start.

I'm just saying,

maybe you're overestimating how big a deal it was.

I'm not.

Okay? Drop it.

Just trying to help.

Dear Anna, I'm a features writer at Manhattan Magazine.

I read a bit about your story.

The papers have not done you justice.

The few details I can find are so compelling

that I'm sure there has to be more to the story.

I know there is a brilliant and interesting woman behind...

"Brilliant and interesting"?

Too much?

Flattery will get you everywhere.

...brilliant and interesting woman behind all of this.

If you are amenable, I would love to meet and talk for a potential story.

I hope you're doing okay under the circumstances

and that we can meet soon. My phone number is below.

Best regards, Vivian Kent.

What...