Netflix faces legal battle as court denies dismissal bid in ‘Inventing Anna’ defamation lawsuit

Netflix faces setback in defamation lawsuit over ‘Inventing Anna’ portrayal, as court rules in favor of plaintiff.

A setback for Netflix as the streaming giant loses its bid to dismiss a defamation lawsuit tied to the hit series, Inventing Anna. The lawsuit, brought forth by Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former friend of the infamous con artist Anna Sorokin, accuses Netflix of portraying her falsely and defaming her character, according to reports from Variety.

In the Netflix original, Williams is depicted as abandoning Sorokin during a trip to Morocco and betraying her to authorities, among other negative characterizations. Williams claims that these portrayals, amounting to 16 separate instances, misrepresent her as “snobbish,” “unethical,” and “greedy.”

Netflix had argued that the show’s creators, including Shonda Rhimes, should be granted artistic license and protected by the First Amendment. They contended that the depiction of Williams was an opinion rather than a statement of fact and was consistent with Williams’ own account.

However, Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly disagreed, finding that some of the characterizations in the series could indeed cross the line into defamation. He pointed out that whether Sorokin was truly in distress in Morocco and whether Williams abandoned her at that point could be proven true or false, making it a question of fact.

Williams has argued that the series was too sympathetic to Sorokin, portraying her as an anti-hero rather than the criminal she is convicted to be. She alleges that her character was transformed from a victim into a foil, distorting reality.

The ruling allows Williams to proceed with her lawsuit, indicating a potential legal battle ahead for Netflix over the portrayal of real-life events in its content. The plaintiff’s attorney has already initiated legal actions, serving subpoenas on Sorokin and on Katie Lowes, the actor who portrays Williams in the series.