She wrote an article about her experiences with Sorokin for Vanity Fair and authored the book My Friend Anna, which became a New York Times best seller.
Williams was portrayed by Katie Lowes in the Netflix drama series Inventing Anna, released in February 2022.
[2][3] While a student, she interned in New York City for Art + Commerce (a photography agency and production company then owned by IMG), Harper's Bazaar, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
[2][3] After graduating from college, Williams began a job in the photo department of Vanity Fair, where she worked for nearly a decade first as an assistant and later as an editor and producer.
While at the magazine, Williams helped to produce photoshoots with photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Mark Seliger of portrait subjects such as Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, Bruce Springsteen, Amy Schumer, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Caitlyn Jenner, Rihanna, Patti Smith, and many others.
[8] In October, 2017, Williams helped law enforcement find and arrest Sorokin in Los Angeles, and later testified against her in court.
[12] Williams was interviewed about her experience with Sorokin on Red Table Talk's episode Tinder Swindler and Anna Delvey Victims: What You Haven't Heard.
[17] In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Lowes admitted that she didn't meet the real Rachel before filming, explaining that while she did look at the Williams's social media account, "I actually based her on somebody else I know.
"[19] Hayley Maitland of Vogue noted that the series identified Williams by full name, real employer, real apartment location, and real alma mater but showed major falsehoods about her, including wearing expensive designer clothes given to her by Anna Delvey, even though Delvey never gave her any clothes; being fired for putting the unexpected $62,000 cost of the trip on her company credit card, even though she transferred the full amount to her personal credit card; and admitting at the courthouse right after giving her testimony that the credit card company had forgiven the debt, even though that did not happen until after the trial was over.
[20] In an interview with Vanity Fair, Williams called the series a dangerous distortion, pointing out that the title card that appears at the beginning of each episode, reading: This story is completely true, except for all the parts that aren't, "gives the show enough credibility so that people can believe [the fictional elements] more easily."
"Take it from someone who knows: This is the art of the con, a shell game that proffers irresistible thrills for low stakes, while a sleight of hand carries out the high-roller business unseen.