After landing a nine-figure (NINE!) deal with Netflix last August, Shonda Rhimes has found her first project: the story of Anna Delvey, and how she scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars from people — namely members of New York City’s high society — by posing as a German heiress. Delvey and her scheming ways were first uncovered in a Vanity Fair article by one of the magazine’s photo editors, who she herself was conned by Delvey, but Rhimes and the streaming giant actually acquired the rights to a more recent New York Magazine article about the wannabe socialite.
Like the Vanity Fair article, NY Mag‘s “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” by Jessica Pressler quickly made the rounds on social media. People were fascinated with the absurdity of Delvey’s story, and how she managed to infiltrate the circles of New York’s elite. She swindled funds under the guise of plans to create a “dynamic visual-arts center,” only to use any money garnered on things like lavish dinners.
.@jpressler: “Anna looked at the soul of New York and recognized that if you distract people with shiny objects, with large wads of cash, with the indicia of wealth, if you show them the money, they will be virtually unable to see anything else” https://t.co/k7vfBWFeEI
— The Cut (@TheCut) June 9, 2018
Delvey certainly isn’t living that life anymore, though. Last year, she was indicted on theft of services, six counts of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny. According to E! News, she’s currently being held without bond in Rikers Island.
The details on the Netflix series are sparse, but we do know that Rhimes is set to write it.
It’s true! #shondaland #netflix https://t.co/1QSRR9zAc7
— Shondaland (@byshondaland) June 8, 2018
She and her production company, Shondaland, are signed with Netflix for five years. In 2017, she made the move after 15 years at ABC Studios — however, she’s not abandoning her ABC shows. Variety reported that Rhimes “made it clear early on” that she would continue to be involved with Grey’s Anatomy, For the People, Station 19, and How to Get Away with Murder .