Is Steadfast Journalist Vivian Kent in 'Inventing Anna' Based on a Real Person?

Highlighting the noted scams of fraudster Anna Delvey, 'Inventing Anna' features a zealous 'Manhattan Magazine' journalist, Vivian Kent. Is she based on a real person?

Does the name Anna Delvey ring a bell? Well, she's hoping it does. Netflix's latest Shonda Rhimes-penned miniseries, Inventing Anna, tells the unbelievable true story of ways the now-world-famous fraudster Anna Delvey — whose real name is Anna Sorokin — conned her way into NYC's elite interior circle. While the materialistic Anna Delvey (performed via Julia Garner) is obviously one of the show's main characters, the primary protagonist is certainly zealous Manhattan Magazine journalist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky).

In an ambitiously risky try to save her previously-escalating occupation, pregnant creator Vivian Kent goes at the back of her boss's back, searching for out an interview with Anna Delvey at Rikers Island prison advanced — which is the place she is living as she awaits trial. See, Vivian is striving to flee the fallout of a scandalous story she once wrote, all in a race in opposition to time, taking into consideration her baby is mere months clear of being born.

You may have already clocked "Manhattan Magazine" as being a fake publication, which only additional begs the query: is Vivian Kent a real person?

Vivian Kent is a fictional persona based on 'New York' magazine writer Jessica Pressler.

In mild of Inventing Anna's trailer declaring "this story is completely true, except for the parts that are totally made up," it is not super sudden that Vivian Kent does not if truth be told exist. But whilst Vivian is not a real journalist, she's closely based on Jessica Pressler, who wrote the notorious 2018 article "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People” for The Cut — a vertical of New York magazine focused on "model, good looks, politics, sex, and superstar."

Essentially, Jessica is responsible for introducing the world to fake German heiress Anna Delvey — who's been dubbed the "Soho Grifter" — as well as for inspiring the Netflix miniseries. With boatloads of talent, Jessica also wrote the 2015 article "The Hustlers at Scores," which later inspired the critically adored, J.Lo-led 2019 film Hustlers. From hustling strippers to a scamming, wannabe-socialite, Jessica Pressler has her finger on the pulse of Manhattan's most interesting con artists.

Jessica — who's been a staff writer at New York magazine for more than ten years — obviously never meant to find success in the entertainment industry, so it was a bit surreal when she received calls galore pertaining to her Anna Delvey article. "I’d finished the tale weeks away from having a baby, and it was simply this avalanche of phone calls from everybody I’ve ever admired in the leisure business," she informed Shondaland in 2022.

"You would think that that may be superb and a dream, nevertheless it used to be also a nightmare as a result of I needed to say no to all the ones other folks with the exception of for one person. I’m lucky, by means of the way in which, that I were given to also be on those phone calls because I feel that a lot of puts don’t let writers [of the original material] get entangled in that anymore," she continued.

Jessica detailed how Vivian Kent's character differs from herself.

"I did not have a murder wall. And now not in the infant’s room. I want I had — I’m a little bit jealous of Vivian’s. And I didn't omit an ultrasound appointment both. The timelines are different, and the best way that it unfolds is different. It’s one of those things that portions of it are very real, and then there are bits which can be utterly made up," she explained.

Vivian definitely doesn't have bad intentions, but she's undoubtedly tenacious, somewhat self-serving, even aggressive at times. "I can say that the tone was very different than me in real life. Journalists on television are a lot more confrontational. I don’t know if that’s because other journalists are more confrontational, however I would never go into an preliminary interview and, like, have an issue with someone," Jessica persisted.

She went on to relay that minor quarrels came up later on, as a few of her resources rapidly determined they not sought after their names in the story. Overall, many sides of Jessica Pressler's personality and profession studies had been changed for dramatic impact.

All nine episodes of Inventing Anna are recently streaming on Netflix.

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