Was Anna Sorokin released? An update on the fake German heiress

She's back. 

The dust from the Netflix hit Inventing Anna has settled, and it seems people have turned their attention away from fake German heiress, Anna Delvey (born Anna Sorokin). But the wannabe artist—who swindled New York City's elite out of thousands—has returned, and now she's looking to do things differently.

The 31-year-old calls a modest fifth-floor walkup in the East Village home and dons an ankle monitor rather than designer accessories. The wealthy facade she tried to establish years ago has been deteriorated, but can she make a comeback from her wrongdoings—even if the judge who presided over her case doesn't believe she's regretful? 

Many suspected Sorokin—who was found guilty of grand larceny and theft of services in 2019— would return to Europe after she failed to open a members-only arts club (but used the earnings to support a lavish lifestyle instead). But the stubborn spirit that likely got her in trouble in the first place is what kept her in America.

"So many immigration lawyers told me I’d get deported to Mars before I’d get out in New York," she revealed in a lengthy interview for The New York Times, her first since being released from prison. "And I just had to find the person who’d align with my vision, not accept 'no' for an answer and make it happen."

Was Anna Sorokin released from jail?

"Where is Anna Sorokin now," you ask? Downtown, like plenty of other millennials her age. 

She was released from the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, on October 7 and returned to her one-bedroom apartment—scooped up quickly by her team—later that evening. The Department of Homeland Security has 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision, according to The Times. 

But unlike her peers, Sorokin served time in prison for her crimes before being released in 2021. That wasn't her ticket to freedom—she had later been detained by immigration authorities for 18 months for not complying with the terms of her visa. But now, she is carrying on and attempting to push the "do-over" button. (No social media this time around, though.) 

"Letting them deport me would have been like a sign of capitulation — confirmation of this perception of me as this shallow person who only cares about obscene wealth, and that’s just not the reality," she further revealed to The Times. "I could have left, but I chose not to because I’m trying to fix what I’ve done wrong."

Despite what any legal figures have said, she claims this whole ordeal has definitely changed her perspective. She is attempting to fix her image and work on her art while in New York. But she will also be attempting to start a podcast, write a book and look into prison reform work—"to kind of highlight the struggles of other girls."

She has been seen throughout the city, covering herself in black and yes, wearing her ankle monitor. She is currently placed under house arrest—thankfully, she says she'll have access to better food this way—and looking to break away from her Delvey persona. Time will tell how it all unfolds.

"I am regretful about the way things played out. The way I’ve tried to see my experience is to learn from it: who I am today is because of the decisions I made in the past," she added.