Side Note

Socialite grifter Anna Delvey wants pen pals

Anna Delvey, the New York scam queen who pretended to be an heiress and captivated us in detailed profiles in The Cut and Vanity Fair this year, wants to hear from you. In an early morning Instagram post (probably not posted by her, because she is in jail, but who knows), she listed an address where adoring fans can find her. (She is not, however, accepting visits from the media or strangers, though I’m sure there will be plenty of attempts to do so anyway.) Letter writing may be a forgotten art, but it’s easy to imagine Delvey receiving thousands of notes of admiration, advice requests, and marriage proposals.

Tyra Mail

A post shared by Anna Delvey (@theannadelvey) on

With an almost impeccable fake story (aside from her dead-looking hair, which was the biggest red flag) Delvey managed to con the richest and most well-connected people in New York. Her gamble is being turned into a Netflix series, produced by Shonda Rhimes. She set out on her own to start an unreasonably gaudy art venue nightclub, and would have gotten away with it had she not overplayed her hand. But who among us has not been overconfident in the presence of stupid, rich idiots? Now, she’s a celebrity in her own right.

The judge on her case said that she sees “no remorse” in the 27-year-old grifter, who currently faces up to 15 years in prison. (Delvey pled not guilty.) This is strangely admirable, sort of. Delvey, whose real last name is Sorokin, seems to stick by her story — her lawyer says it was never her “intention to commit a larceny in any respect.” She did what she did, and nobody can take her almost victory away from her. Money isn’t real, and for a while she lived out the bougie American life the amateur nihilist in us wants. Now, you can tell her how much you appreciated it.