Maud Lewis is a seasoned journalist at Manhattan Magazine.
History[]
Vivian's Pitch[]
When Vivian said she might have a story to pitch, Maud, Lou, and Barry all encouraged her to do so. Vivian wanted to write about Anna Delvey aka Anna Sorokin, who had just been arrested for fraud, having conned the elite of New York City for years. When Maud found Vivian writing an effusive, flattering letter to Anna, asking to interview her, Maud questioned the language, but admitted flattery would get her far. Vivian was told she couldn't do the story, but Maud realized she was working on it anyway and helped cover for Vivian so Paul wouldn't find out. She, Lou, and Barry also helped her find people who might be willing to talk to her. Maud suggested she talk to the one hotel that didn't file charges: 12 George, where Anna lived for months. When they learned that Anna had been offered a deal, they concluded that if Anna took the deal, Vivian's story would die, as she wouldn't be able to talk to Anna anymore.[1]
As Vivian started to work on her story, Barry, Lou, and Maud showed her the timeline they'd put together, tracking Anna's movement as she left Germany and went first to London, and then Paris, before finally coming to New York. They used this and Instagram to figure out that Anna was connected to Talia Mallay and had dated Chase Sikorski for a time.[2]
When Anna demanded that Vivian bring her nice underwear on her next visit, Maud went shopping with her to pick some out. While they were there, they discussed Vivian's inability to find Chase to interview him for her story. All she knew was that he was in Dubai working for the Sheikh. Maud said she'd spent time in Dubai and knew where Chase might be staying there. With Lou's help, Vivian started calling hotels and eventually located Chase.
Vivian looked into Anna's timeline and wondered why Anna would work so hard to secure Nora's mentorship only to cut Nora off as soon as she had it. Lou and Barry wondered if she was just a lone wolf, but Vivian thought it was more than that. This conversation led to Vivian going to the prosecutor and finding out that Anna had stolen from Nora, but Nora decided not to press charges.[3]
Vivian learned that Anna was attempting to lease 281 Park, which was owned by Aby Rosen. She had a whole business plan for how to start ADF and it was extremely detailed. All she had to do was secure the financing. Barry expressed doubt that anyone would give Anna that much money until Vivian showed him the box of paperwork she had that showed that they came very close to doing just that. They reviewed the paperwork and were shocked to find that Alan Reed, an experienced Wall Street lawyer, had checked the box on her application that said she had the money to pay for services, even though she definitely didn't.
Maud, Barry, and Lou later told Vivian that Anna had stolen a jet. She'd chartered a flight to Omaha and never paid the $35,000 bill. Vivian determined that she'd used the flight to get to Berkshire Hathaway.[4]
American Investigated[]
When Vivian came into the office and noticed everyone staring at her, she asked if she'd missed breaking news. Maud, Barry, and Lou informed her that the new America Investigated promo had come out and Donovan Lamb was going to be on it, for their episode on bad journalism. The three of them looked after Vivian as she continued her work, though she insisted she was fine.[5]
Finding Rachel[]
As Vivian got closer to finishing the research for her article, she became frustrated that she still couldn't find Rachel for an interview. Barry, Maud, and Lou tried to convince her that she didn't need Rachel for the story, but Barry reluctantly admitted that it would be better with her. He, Lou, and Maud argued over if Kacy's part would be enough to make up for not having Rachel until they finally told Vivian to start writing and they'd find Rachel.
Maud found out that they weren't able to find Rachel because she'd sold her story to Vanity Fair. Barry reassured her about it, saying it didn't mean her story was dead. Vivian knew that it might well be depending on who was writing the story. Despite knowing the article could come out online later that day, they all agreed not to tell Landon or Paul. Vivian waited until the article came up, at which point she learned that Rachel had written it. She said it didn't meant she'd been scooped because it wasn't real journalism. Once Landon cleared it, Vivian continued work on her article. While she worked, Barry, Maud, and Lou kept trying to figure out Anna's timeline.
Vivian worked for twelve hours. While she worked, Maud, Lou, and Barry discussed the story that led to Vivian's reputation being ruined. Barry thought she should have been more on top of things, but Maud reminded him he'd made mistakes before and not lost jobs or his reputation over it. They all waited as Vivian finished her article and then read it. Legal said they couldn't publish it without Kacy's okay, so Vivian stayed at the office despite being in labor, calling Kacy for her okay. Once Kacy gave permission, Jack led Vivian out of the office as everyone else applauded.[6]
Anna's Trial[]
Barry, Lou, and Maud came to the courthouse for Anna's trial. They were most eager to see Rachel's testimony.
After closing arguments, Barry, Lou, and Maud waited back at the office for the verdict to come in, hovering around Maud's computer, where she had the Scriberia Slack chat pulled up. When she announced that Vivian was typing, Lou and Barry gathered behind her. She sent them the ruling on each charge as it was read. In total, she was found guilty on all but two charges.[7]
Relationships[]
Professional[]
Career[]
She is a journalist at Manhattan Magazine.
Notes and Trivia[]
- Netflix Bio: She climbed to the top of her field alone as the only woman in the room. But now she's sidelined because the idiots who run the magazine aren't old enough to remember what a brilliant journalist she is. Maud's sharp, funny, and often too blunt but her helpful, honest nature makes up for that.
- She liked writing about the Obamas.[8]
- She was writing cover stories when Paul Hudson was just an intern.[9]
- She spent time in Dubai reporting on the Libyan Civil War.[10]
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Episode Stills[]
Appearances[]
| Inventing Anna | |||||
| #01 | "Life of a VIP" | #04 | "A Wolf in Chic Clothing" | #07 | "Cash on Delivery" |
| #02 | "The Devil Wore Anna" | #05 | "Check Out Time" | #08 | "Too Rich for Her Blood" |
| #03 | "Two Birds, One Throne" | #06 | "Friends in Low Places" | #09 | "Dangerously Close" |