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Netflix, Rachel DeLoache Williams Settle 'Inventing Anna' Defamation Case

A Delaware judge dismissed the suit with prejudice after the parties reached resolution, with each side covering its own costs.

Overview

  • Netflix and Rachel DeLoache Williams said Friday they resolved the dispute, and the Delaware district court dismissed the case with prejudice.
  • TheWrap reported that each party will pay its own legal fees and expenses, and the terms of the resolution were not disclosed.
  • Williams sued in 2022 alleging the series falsely portrayed her as snobbish and disloyal, and that the depiction fueled thousands of abusive messages.
  • A 2024 bid by Netflix to dismiss the case on literary-license grounds was denied, discovery proceeded including a deposition of Shonda Rhimes, and a summary judgment motion was pending at settlement.
  • Inventing Anna drew on a New York magazine story about Anna Sorokin, who served nearly four years for fraud, and Williams’ lawyer has pursued similar defamation claims in other high-profile cases.