Anna Delvey is a controversial figure due to her 2019 grand larceny convictions, but the Netflix series Inventing Anna immortalized her story and had many wondering what she is doing today. The 2022 drama series, which was produced by Shonda Rhimes, chronicles a journalist’s search to break Anna’s story and get to the bottom of how she swindled New York City elites out of their fortunes. Anna herself was played by Julia Garner, and the role earned her an Emmy nomination for her brilliant portrayal of the elusive and enigmatic Russian-born convicted criminal.
While the Netflix drama made Delvey’s story must-see TV, it wasn’t without its controversies as facts were left out of the Inventing Anna miniseries which somewhat misrepresented the actual story. Anna Delvey, real name Sorokin, made for a compelling lead character, but the divisive nature of her crimes called into question the entire enterprise of glorifying a convicted criminal. However, Delvey’s story made her an instant celebrity, and her whereabouts have been closely watched by an audience of fascinated fans, and detractors. Anna herself has been quite busy since her 2019 conviction, and she has shown that the Anna Delvey story didn’t end with the last episode of Netflix’s series.
Where Anna Delvey Is Now
The Inventing Anna series ended with Delvey’s conviction and offered a small glimpse of the fake German heiress after being sentenced. In real life, Anna Delvey had been sentenced to between 4 and 12 years in prison for grand larceny and various other charges and ordered to pay restitution of nearly $200 thousand to various entities that she defrauded (via The New York Times). In another controversial moment, Anna Delvey was paid by Netflix for her story, and the convicted felon earned $320 thousand. However, due to the “Son of Sam Law”, Delvey was ordered to use a majority of the money for her restitution.
As of 2023, Delvey continues to live in New York City and maintains something of a lavish lifestyle thanks to proceeds from various art sales which, as of late 2022, has netted her over $300 thousand (via ART News). Delvey has been very vocal about Netflix’s popular drama series, but she admitted upon its release that she won’t watch Inventing Anna due to her ongoing legal issues. Despite being under house arrest since her release, Delvey has found many ways to remain in the spotlight including her large social media presence and her podcast The Anna Delvey Show which she launched in 2023.
The show, which has been described by Vulture as yet another “con“, is an attempt to rehab her image and is an additional way for her to stay relevant even as she is still under house arrest. Anna Delvey told The Associated Press that “many people became famous for bad things and were able to kind of segue it into something different“, and she believes the podcast format is the perfect way to re-center the narrative. In the same piece, she described the podcast as about “productive rule-breaking“, perhaps a pointed piece of irony considering her own past.
Delvey’s Immigration Troubles
Anna Delvey was released from prison in early 2021 after serving two years on her larceny charges but was arrested by ICE only six weeks after her release because she overstayed her visa (via BBC). She was set to be deported back to Germany, but she contested the deportation through her lawyer which resulted in her incarceration for over a year in New Jersey’s Orange County immigration facility. Delvey found a way to get involved in another controversy while still in custody when, in 2022, she joined a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU against ICE because of their handling of the COVID-19 vaccination (via NBC News).
Ultimately, Anna Delvey was not deported from the US and was released from ICE custody in October 2022 on a $10 thousand bond. The stipulations of her parole include 24-hour house arrest which severely limits her movements and requires her to remain at home where she can only leave for necessary medical treatments and for meetings with authorities (via Variety). Even while she was in direct ICE custody, Delvey was able to capitalize on her own fame by hosting a pop-up art show entitled “Allegedly”. She appeared remotely, via a prerecorded message from behind bars.
Anna Delvey’s Documentary Series
While the cast of Netflix’s Inventing Anna helped to bring the story to life on screen, Delvey herself was not directly involved in the process. Therefore, in early 2022, Deadline reported that Anna Delvey was working on a documentary series of her own, but it won’t tell the well-trod tale of her crimes. Instead, the series will reportedly pick up where Inventing Anna left off, and follow her life after being incarcerated. The series is being produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, a company most known for raucous reality TV hits like The Real World.
In the same Deadline report, a representative for Bunim/Murray described the project as “the next chapter of her ever-evolving tale” and described Delvey as “a complicated and fascinating character“. Since the February 2022 announcement, no new developments have surfaces regarding the documentary series, though the report stated it was being shopped around to various networks and platforms. Considering Delvey’s public image, it is highly likely that the folks at Bunim/Murray will have no problem courting a suitor to pick the series up.
“Delvey’s Dinner Club” – Her Reality Show Explained
Even as her upcoming documentary series continues to simmer behind-the-scenes, Anna Delvey announced yet another project which will help to keep the fraudster in the spotlight. In January 2023, Delvey announced that she will star in a reality series known as Delvey’s Dinner Club in which she hosts intimate, and privately catered, dinners in her New York City apartment. Her guests will include famous musicians, actors, and socialites, and the topic of conversation will allegedly be the criminal justice system and her reputation (via People).
The show is produced in conjunction with Butternut, a lifestyle media brand that is led by Courtney White who was formerly the president of Food Network. As with her elusive documentary series, no updates have surfaced since her announcement in early 2023, and no guests have been revealed. Despite a copious amount of news surrounding Delvey’s Dinner Club, no network or streaming platform has claimed the show, and it is unclear whether it will ever actually air.
The Rooftop Fashion Show
Following the announcement of Delvey’s Dinner Party, and the launch of her podcast, the controversial con artist largely stayed out of the spotlight most likely due to her house arrest. However, in September 2023, Delvey made a public reappearance that both shocked and amazed long-time followers of her case. New York City’s Fashion Week is one of the biggest moments of the year for the art scene, and Delvey was not denied a chance to participated even though she is under 24-hour house arrest. According to CNN, Delvey hosted her very own fashion show on the roof of her apartment building which drew a modest crowd.
The show was designed as a platform for designer Shao Yang, and the event was a joint venture between Delvey and publicist Kelly Cutrone. The duo have teamed up to form a new agency known as OutLaw, and specialize in pop-up style events like the one hosted on the rooftop. Though it is unclear what the future holds for Delvey in the fashion world, it is clear that New York’s high society has forgiven the woman who took so much from them.
What Is Anna Delvey’s Legacy?
Considering the fact that Anna Delvey’s story is still unfinished, it is difficult to pin down exactly how history will remember her. Some see Delvey as a modern-day Robin Hood who steals from the rich, as publications like The Wire succinctly laid out. While others, like The Daily Illini see her as a ruthless criminal who stole from not just the rich, but the middle class as well. Regardless, Delvey’s legacy will really be forged by what she does in the near future, and how she chooses to handle the fame she so desperately wanted. Inventing Anna was just one part of the story, the rest is yet to come.
