Shonda Rhimes' limited series Inventing Anna recently took the internet by storm. Since the Netflix premiere of the true-crime drama, fans have turned into internet sleuths, trying to find the real-life victims of fake German heiress Anna Delvey — whose real name is Anna Sorokin (played by Ozark star Julia Garner).
One of the most fascinating characters in the show is Sorokin's loyal best friend Neff Davis. As portrayed in the series, Davis worked as a hotel concierge at 11 Howard's luxury hotel in New York. There, she met Sorokin for the first time in 2017. She helped the fraudster get into the most exclusive events in the city. In return, Davis was treated with luxury getaways and designer items. In the show, Davis also stood by Sorokin's side until the end. She still supports her to this day in real life. Here's why.
What Neff Davis Really Feels About Anna Sorokin
When asked about her first impression of Sorokin, Davis said that she was impressed by the Russian-born's made-up success. "I really enjoyed Anna's mystery," she told Bustle. "She wasn't like our other guests and she talked about her goals a lot. As a Capricorn, I was very intrigued with what she had going on and how she would get it done at a young age." When asked about Sorokin's redeeming qualities, Davis believes that she "knows her heart."
"I think I know her heart. I'll never know her mind, but her tenderness and comedic ways are something the world may never see," she said. "Her vulnerable side and comedic side make her so much fun to be around, because she has truly mastered sarcasm. The b--ch is hilarious." Played by Alexis Floyd in the series, Davis' character seemed like she was in denial of Sorokin's con — despite their former friend Rachel DeLoache Williams' lawsuit against Sorokin over a $62,000 bill she promised to pay. It was for renting a $7500-a-night private villa in Marrakech.
In real life, Davis admitted that she had to set some boundaries with Sorokin since the fiasco. "Of course, I had to set boundaries with Anna, but I truly stood by her side because she was there for me when I needed her. Loyalty is loyalty," she said. However, she denied being unsympathetic towards Williams as depicted in the show. "I'm not sure why Shondaland did it. But I loved it," she reacted. "White people get enough sympathy. Plus, Rachel got paid very well from her book and AMEX forgave her charges. What is there to sympathize with?"
Neff Davis Was Never Scammed By Anna Sorokin
Though Davis sympathizes with Williams to some degree, she didn't believe her when she accused Sorokin of scamming her out. "No, because Anna never scammed me and I never saw her not being legit," Davis said. When asked why she thought Sorokin was "good for it," she said: "Mainly because when someone always keeps your word, it's hard to think otherwise."
She added that Sorokin never told her of her crimes. Had she known, she would've helped her and given her some advice. "I would've told Anna to make a GoFundMe instead of bank hopping. But she never told me about her crimes, so I guess not," said Davis. On the other hand, Williams isn't cool with Inventing Anna revisiting her traumatic experience.
"I think promoting this whole narrative and celebrating a sociopathic, narcissistic, proven criminal is wrong," she told Vanity Fair. "Having had a front-row seat to [the Anna circus] for far too long, I've studied the way a con works more than anybody needs to. You watch the spectacle, but you're not paying attention to what's being marketed." Played by Katie Lowes in the series, Williams is worried that "some people online think [Inventing Anna] is a fact-checked series" instead of "true crime entertainment."
Why Neff Davis Remains Loyal To Her Best Friend Anna Sorokin
Not being scammed by Sorokin may be a good reason for Davis' loyalty. But it's so much more than that. "It's not every day you meet a woman that tells you she will make you rich and fund your film career if you stick by her side," Davis said of why she stood up for her friend. "In a weird and sick way, she kept her word. That's loyalty." She also claims to "get" Sorokin despite the public's negative perception of her.
"Anna is my friend and always will be," Davis said of her current friendship with Sorokin. "We had to get to know each other again and develop healthy boundaries. We have blocked and unblocked each other, cried, and laughed. I get her." That's a whole lot of maturity right there...
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