Anna Delvey’s Ex-Friend Rachel DeLoache Williams Sues Netflix For Defamation Over ‘Inventing Anna’ Portrayal
30.08.2022 - 23:57
/ etcanada.com
Rachel DeLoache Williams is suing Netflix.
On Monday, the writer filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and false light invasion of privacy against the streaming service for its portrayal of her in the series, “Inventing Anna“, according to court docs obtained by ET. ET has reached out to Netflix for comment.
Katie Lowes played Williams in the series, which follows the fraudulent actions of Anna Sorokin, who went by Anna Delvey at the time. Williams documented her one-time friendship with Sorokin in a 2019 book, My Friend Anna.
“This action will show that Netflix made a deliberate decision for dramatic purposes to show Williams doing or saying things in the series which portray her as a greedy, snobbish, disloyal, dishonest, cowardly, manipulative and opportunistic person,” the docs allege. “… This action is based firmly on statements of fact which are demonstrably false and the attribution of statements that she never made.”
The suit cites several media outlets that “commented on Netflix’s hatchet job” of Williams’ character, including Yahoo News, The Huffington Post and The New York Post.
The docs go on to claim that Williams “has been the subject of thousands of such abusive messages” since the series’ release.
“As a result of Netflix’s false portrayal of her as a vile and contemptible person, Williams was subjected to a torrent of online abuse, negative in-person interactions, and pejorative characterizations in podcasts, etc. that were based on the series,” the docs claim, “which establish that Netflix’s actions exposed her to public contempt, ridicule, aversion or disgrace, or induced an evil opinion of her.”
The docs concede that Netflix has a “right to have an unpleasant character in the series,” but says that the