Breaking Down Anna Delvey’s NYC Bunny Controversy
Anna Delvey is back in the news again. While her most recent controversy won’t have her seeing the inside of a jail cell, she is being tried in the court of public opinion after bunnies used in a photoshoot she recently posted were dumped in a Brooklyn Park. Delvey tried to deny that the rabbits seen released in Prospect Park were a part of her photoshoot, but it didn’t go over well with the internet. The rabbits were the same ones from her photos. Here is exactly what happened.
Anna Delvey is in hot water over dumped bunnies
Anna Delvey has somehow managed to maintain a strong social media presence, despite being considered a con artist. Post-prison, the Russian national has used her notoriety to launch an influencer career. Things might have taken a turn earlier this month when Delvey posted photos with several bunnies on leashes. After the photos were posted, bunnies were spotted in Prospect Park, and a rescue mission was launched. The rabbits, domesticated pets, would have died if left to wander in the urban park. Three rabbits were taken in by animal rescue workers, and internet sleuths traced the bunnies back to Delvey’s photoshoot.
Anna Delvey denied involvement in the dumping of the bunnies. She insisted she would “sue.” Delvey initially said the rabbits for her shoot had been borrowed and were back with their owner. When that didn’t work, Christian Batty, Delvey’s 19-year-old assistant, penned a long apology for dumping the rabbits in the park. He said he didn’t realize he’d be tasked with their care after sourcing them from Facebook Marketplace. He admitted he “panicked” and assumed the rabbits would be fine in the park. Much of the drama unfolded on Reddit.
The rabbits are safe and being cared for. It’s unclear what the point of the photoshoot was, or who initially tasked the teen with sourcing rabbits. Delvey insists she is an “animal lover” and was not aware of what had happened.
Why is Anna Delvey famous?
Anna Delvey, whose real surname is Sorokin, rose to fame when she was arrested for a fraud scheme. Between 2013 and 2017, Delvey infiltrated New York City’s elite social circles. She funded her lavish lifestyle, which included expensive hotel stays and high-end meals, by falsifying financial documents, writing bad checks, and convincing friends, hotels, and businesses that she would settle the accounts later. She was able to infiltrate New York’s high-end social scenes by claiming to be a wealthy German heiress.
In 2019, Anna Delvey was convicted of theft of services, grand larceny, and attempted grand larceny. She was sentenced to 4–12 years in prison. Along with her prison sentence, she was fined $24,000 and ordered to pay restitution. She was released in 2021 and later found herself under house confinement after being released from an ICE facility. Delvey is living in New York, seemingly no worse for wear, while she appeals her deportation order. The Netflix miniseries, Inventing Anna, delved into the story of Delvey and how she convinced New York City’s most elite that she was one of them.
