Latest news with #Delvey
New York Post
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rabbits used in Anna Delvey photoshoot dumped in Prospect Park, sparking outrage: ‘Regret it deeply'
A hare-y situation has thrown the Big Apple's infamous 'fake heiress' Anna Delvey back in the spotlight. The scammer-turned-model got ripped by animal lovers after several rabbits she used in a glamorous photoshoot were found dumped in Prospect Park last week. Activists quickly drew the link to Delvey, who had posted photos from the downtown Manhattan shoot at around the same time as the rescues, with the caption 'our bunny daycare is open.' 'These animals were left in a park to die right after this photoshoot. Living things are not your photo props,' artist Alison Kuo commented under Delvey's Instagram post. Delvey claims she was totally oblivious, telling Page Six on Monday: 'I do not eat meat, and I had no involvement in the acquisition, transport, or return of these animals. I would never condone these actions.' But the same can't be said for Christian Batty, a 19-year-old assistant on the photoshoot, who wrote in a statement on social media that he 'panicked' when he realized he'd be responsible for the floppy-eared 'props.' 'When I realized the rabbits were being surrendered to me, I panicked,' he wrote in the hare-brained confession, which Delvey shared on her own Instagram account Sunday. 4 Animal lovers are slamming Anna Delvey after several rabbits used for her glamorous downtown Manhattan social media photoshoot were found dumped in Prospect Park. 'At 19, with no experience caring for animals … and no knowledge of available resources, I felt overwhelmed and made the worst possible choice,' Batty wrote. 'Believing, mistakenly, that there were existing rabbits in that area, I released them [in Prospect Park], thinking that was my best option. That belief was wrong, and I regret it deeply.' Three of the abandoned bunnies are now in the foster care of animal rescuer Terry Chao, who said that she and two neighbors had rescued Parker, a harlequin lop, on August 4 and Moon, also a harlequin, three days later. In an Instagram post, Chao said she drew was notified about Delvey's photoshoot on Saturday — and was already familiar with it because Batty had initially alerted her to see if she would lend the team her own Instagram-famous rabbit. 'Anon posts calling out Christian & Anna started appearing on the NYC Rabbits group & Reddit piecing the evidence together. It was undeniable these were the exact same bunnies from her shoot,' Chao wrote. 'The pressure worked & a confession was issued,' she said, adding that Batty went to Prospect Park with her to help rescue a third missing bunny, a gray fur-ball who has since been named Joaquin, after the actor. 4 Rescuers caught wind of the stunt after the familiar-looking floppy-eared props were rescued from the Brooklyn park on Aug. 4 and 7, respectively. Instagram/veganchao 4 Terry Chao helped rescue the three rabbits, which Batty acquired from a Yonkers woman on Facebook. Instagram/veganchao The trio had been obtained by Batty — a friend of Delvey's hairstylist on set — from a Yonkers woman looking to surrender her leporine models on a local Facebook group, rescuers said. A fourth rabbit, Benito, was borrowed from its owner, who wrote on Instagram that they 'happened to see Anna Delvey's story that she needed a bunny for a photoshoot and thought it would be nice for him to meet other rabbits.' The owner said they were told the other bunnies in the shoot 'also came from a loving home.' Batty said the faux heiress was 'not involved in anything beyond the photoshoot and did not realize the situation until today.' 'I lied to Anna, and the rest of the team about the rabbits,' Batty's statement said. Delvey, real name Anna Sorokin, once tried to scam her way to the top of New York's social scene and was convicted in 2022 of scamming banks and businesses out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 4 'Believing, mistakenly, that there were existing rabbits in that area, I released them [in Prospect Park], thinking that was my best option,' Batty wrote. 'That belief was wrong, and I regret it deeply.' Instagram/Anna Delvey The real-life inspiration for the Netflix series 'Inventing Anna' now touts 1.1 million Instagram followers – and regularly poses with her ankle monitor since she was released from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while she fights being deported to Germany. Kathy Nizzari, of animal advocacy group Lights Out Coalition, told The Post that rabbit dumping in Prospect Park is 'fairly common' – despite the offense carrying a punishment of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000, if convicted. Animal rescue sources familiar with dumping at Prospect Park estimated at least six rabbits unrelated to the Delvey photo shoot were found last week alone. 'This happens way too often — usually by pet owners — but it never occurred to me a photographer would do such a thing,' said Mary Beth Artz, a local rescuer at the Brooklyn park, 'although it often happens with photographers around Easter time with ducklings and chicks.' Edita Birnkrant, executive director of animal advocacy group NYCLASS, called on Delvey to 'donate a hefty sum to local rescue groups,' naming the organization They All Want to Live. Such groups 'have to go to extraordinary effort and expense to rescue, vet and rehome animals like this, who are dumped in parks and left to slowly die due to cruel and irresponsible actions of adults who should know better,' Birnkrant said.
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Anna Delvey Rabbit Drama Explained After Bunnies Dumped in Park
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Notorious fraudster Anna Delvey is back in the spotlight this week after an assistant on one of her photoshoots admitted to abandoning rabbits in a New York park — the bizarre end to an unusual chain of events. Newsweek has emailed Delvey outside of regular working hours for comment. Why It Matters Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, first made headlines back in October 2017, when she was arrested for pretending to be a German heiress to deceive hotels, banks and individuals out of over $200,000. In 2019, she was found guilty of eight theft-related charges. She was released from prison in 2021 but was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying her visa. She was released from ICE in 2022 and is currently under house arrest. Her story was the subject of the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, in 2022. L: Anna Delvey is seen on May 16, 2025 in New York City. R: A Desert Cottontail rabbit, also known as Audubon's cottontail, pauses in a cactus garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico. L: Anna Delvey is seen on May 16, 2025 in New York City. R: A Desert Cottontail rabbit, also known as Audubon's cottontail, pauses in a cactus garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico. BG048/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/What To Know The case of the abandoned rabbits began with a post on a local Facebook group about a bunny dumped in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, according to Terry Chao, a vegan blogger who documented the drama on her Instagram account. Chao and others saved the cotton-tailed hopper on Monday, and named it Parker. Three days later, Chao said, a second rabbit was seen in the park and also rescued. This rabbit was christened Moon. It was a mystery as to how the two long-eared lagomorphs ended up in Prospect Park. Then, the Anna Delvey photos appeared. The scammer-turned-social-media-star posted a series of images to her Instagram profile posing with two rabbits on leashes. A video of her and the tethered carrot munchers was also uploaded. Chao said she was notified on Saturday about the shoot but initially did not know that the bunnies she had saved in the park were the same animals in Delvey's photoshoot. However, she soon realized they were, and in a strange twist of fate, revealed she had been contacted by the photographer's assistant, Christian Batty, about using her own pet for the shoot. "I saw the person tagged in the insta post, oh, it was the same person who tried to scout my bunny!" Chao wrote. "That's weird, I thought. Wait, the bunny Anna is holding and trancing (a type of hold on the bunny's back that puts it into a fear state) is strikingly similar to Parker." Instagram users began accusing Delvey and her team of abandoning the rabbits, which they denied. In one reply, Delvey wrote: "I will find and sue dimwits like yourself who simply refuse to accept that the bunnies that were borrowed for our shoot are safe at home with their owners." Batty wrote in response to another commenter: "It isn't the same bunny, as that bunny is located in Yonkers. And as you said you found 4 bunnies in prospect park, we only had 2. One so happens to look like one of the ones you found in the park and now it's Anna's fault? It sounds like someone trying to find an easy solution to a problem bigger than a photoshoot with rabbits that were ethically sourced!" Batty eventually though, came clean. In a post shared by Delvey on Instagram Stories the assistant wrote: "I lied to Anna, and the rest of Anna's team about the rabbits." "When I realized the rabbits were being surrendered to me, I panicked. At 19, with no experience caring for animals, no pet-friendly housing, and no knowledge of available resources, I felt overwhelmed and made the worst possible choice. Believing mistakenly, that there were existing rabbits in that area, I released them there, thinking that was my best option. That belief was wrong, and I regret it deeply." Newsweek contacted Batty for comment via direct message on Facebook, and also on Instagram, but that account later appeared to be deactivated. Chao said on Instagram that Batty "did physically show up to help me successfully catch" a third rabbit that appears not to have been used in the final photoshoot Newsweek emailed Chao for further comment outside of regular working hours. What People Are Saying Terry Chao, on Instagram, wrote: "I hope this entire episode has helped in spreading awareness that you CANNOT DUMP YOUR PETS in the park. Owning a pet is a PRIVILEGE not a right." What Happens Next Chao shared in posts to social media that she is taking donations to help care for the bunnies, and looking for foster families for them.
Express Tribune
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Anna Delvey responds after being accused of 'dumping' rabbits used in Prospect Park photoshoot
Anna Delvey, the convicted fraudster whose story inspired Netflix's Inventing Anna, is facing new accusations after animal rescuers claimed she abandoned rabbits used in a photoshoot at Prospect Park in NYC. According to a reddit user, on August 4, a rabbit named Parker was rescued by them from the park by and placed in foster care. Just three days later, a second abandoned rabbit was found in the same area. Both, rescuers allege, appear identical to the animals featured in images and pinned Instagram Stories posted by Delvey during a recent shoot. Rescuers say a third rabbit, matching another in her posts, remains loose in the park. They also claim Delvey was filmed 'trancing' one of the animals — a handling method discouraged by welfare experts — suggesting inexperience with rabbit care. Additional evidence cited includes a towel and a box seen in her Instagram content, reportedly matching items found at the park. The allegations have prompted calls for witnesses and further proof to hold Delvey accountable for alleged animal abandonment. The rescuer fostering the first two rabbits says Delvey has since threatened them with legal action. Responding to the backlash in the comments section of her posts, Delvey denies the allegations and claims that, " All the bunnies that were borrowed for this shoot are at home with their owners". Delvey, born Anna Sorokin, gained notoriety in New York's social scene by posing as a wealthy German heiress and defrauding hotels, banks, and acquaintances out of approximately $275,000. Arrested in 2017 and convicted in 2019 of grand larceny and theft of services, she served three years in prison. Since her 2022 release, she has remained under house arrest in Manhattan while pursuing media projects.
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Anna Delvey turns heads on New York Fashion Week runway with ankle monitor
Anna Delvey turns heads on New York Fashion Week runway with ankle monitor Show Caption Hide Caption Anna Delvey struts down the runway in an ankle monitor during NYFW Anna Delvey walked the runway during New York Fashion Week at the One Night in Bangkok fashion showcase, with her ankle monitor. NEW YORK — Anna Delvey is back in the spotlight. Delvey hit the runway not once, but four times, at the One Night in Bangkok fashion showcase during New York Fashion Week Tuesday night, ankle monitor and all. The convicted scammer and one time DWTS contestant, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, received cheers from the crowd each time she stepped out, including louder hoots and hollers during the finale. "Yes, baddie!" one guest shouted out during Delvey's final walk down the runway. Thom Browne's NYFW show: Queen Latifah, Adrien Brody, Kerry Washington, more stars flock The showcase highlighted Thai brands Matter Makers, Merge, Vickteerut and Vinn Patararin, with smaller collections from each making their way down the runway and Delvey, 34, modeling designs for all the brands. While she modeled third in the lineup for the first brand, Delvey was the last to step out onto the runway for each of the other three designers. Delvey was accused of scheming to finance a lavish lifestyle and her personal business plans, stealing $275,000 from hotels, banks and lavish New Yorkers. She was convicted in 2019 of grand larceny, and served a little more than three years of her four- to 12-year prison sentence. "Our focus has always been on streetwear and we loved working in New York, plus the models are so cool here," the design team for Matter Makers said in a statement. Delvey was spotted earlier in the week at the Christian Cowan show, alongside singers Sam Smith and Kesha. And she modeled on the runway days prior at the Elena Velez show. Previous coverage: Sam Smith, Kesha, Anna Delvey sit front row for Christian Cowan at NYFW Delvey's fashion week entrée is not her first: Following her release from prison, she hosted a fashion show on the roof of her New York City apartment building in September 2023 while she was on house arrest for the fashion label Shao. She's been spotted out and about at fashion week events in the year since, and walked in Shao's show this past September. Other celebrities to hit the fashion week runways included Elon Musk's mother Maye Musk at the Juzui show and Sarita Choudhury of "And Just Like That" at Kallmeyer. Martha Stewart is effortlessly cool for Tory Burch's fashion week show at NY's MoMA Delvey's runway return comes after her short-lived stint on "Dancing with the Stars" in September. Her casting on the ballroom competition reality show received backlash from the start, and her debut dance, a so-so cha-cha dance complete with her bedazzled monitoring anklet, was panned by viewers. "I was very nervous going into my first dance, but I think I did well under the circumstances. The room went silent. It was clear I wasn't a fan favorite — yet. But I'm going to keep working at it. And I hope I can win people over with my work effort and perseverance. I'm not giving up," Delvey told USA TODAY in an emailed statement at the time. She didn't get the chance to keep "working at it" for much longer: Delvey was eliminated from the dance competition a week into the season, after performing a quickstep with partner Ezra Sosa. Asked by host Julianne Hough what she took from her time on the show, Delvey was curt: "Nothing." Contributing: Jay Stahl
