Netflix's bid to dismiss 'Inventing Anna' defamation lawsuit rejected
Netflix's attempt to have a defamation lawsuit related to the Shonda Rhimes miniseries, Inventing Anna, dismissed was unsuccessful on Tuesday. The plaintiff, Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former acquaintance of fraudster Anna Sorokin, can now move forward with her case. Netflix had previously contended that Rhimes and other series creators had a "literary license" to interpret events, a claim dismissed by Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly.
Williams accused 'Inventing Anna' of misrepresentation
Williams asserted that the series inaccurately depicts her as "snobbish," "unethical," and "greedy." The show portrays Williams as deserting Sorokin in Morocco and later turning her over to authorities. The portrayals, according to Chief Judge Connolly, could potentially be defamatory. Sorokin, who impersonated a German heiress named Anna Delvey, was found guilty of defrauding banks and businesses of roughly $2,00,000.
Netflix argued portrayal is protected by the First Amendment
Netflix's legal representatives, headed by Thomas E. Hanson Jr., defended the depiction of the high-profile case as protected under the First Amendment. They maintained that content creators like Netflix should have some leeway to interpret actions and decisions involved in public controversies such as the Sorokin trial. They further argued that their portrayal of Williams was an opinion and thus immune from defamation claims.
Williams charged Netflix with distorting reality in series
Williams argued that the series overly sympathizes with Sorokin, warping reality by changing her character from a villain into an anti-hero. Her lawsuit states: "Despite being a con artist, the series presents Sorokin's brazen willingness to lie, cheat, and steal her way past supposedly unjust obstacles rooted in bureaucracy, ageism, and sexism as admirable." The suit also alleged that Williams's character was transformed from a victim into a foil.
Judge Connolly examined allegedly defamatory statements
Judge Connolly did not review all 16 sets of allegedly defamatory statements but scrutinized two involving the supposed abandonment in Morocco. Williams insisted that Sorokin was aware she would be leaving the trip early and that Sorokin's distraught state was a fabrication. The judge determined this discrepancy to be a matter of fact, not an opinion. Subpoenas have been served in the case, including ones on Sorokin and Katie Lowes, who portrays Williams in the series.
