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Whats more surreal than having a segment of your life become part of a viralNew YorkMagazine cover story?
Probably selling your life rights to Shonda Rhimes so the story in question can become a Netflix show.
And what might be more surreal than all of it?
Coming full circle to join the actress who played you for an interview withNew YorkMagazines Vulture.
Thus, we have this conversation between two Neffs.
All these people are seeing a part of my life that was so long ago, Davis says.
I had a chance to watch the show and relive that part of my life.
I was like, Oh my gosh, my 20s were crazy.
Is that how it happened?
NeffDavis:I left the hotel at the end of 2017.
I was managing the Starbucks in New Yorks Diamond District when Jessica found me on Twitter.
Im like, Yes.
How do you want your coffee?
I worked there all the way up until my life rights were purchased by Netflix and Shondaland.
It was such a blessing that Jessica direct-messaged me.
What happened after Netflix bought your life rights?
I paid off my rent for two years.
And I started writing, writing, writing for my own projects and consulting with this show.
Its amazing the research they do with this show.
What does it mean to be a consultant on this show?
Imagine getting hundreds of emails about different things from Whats your favorite color?
to When you worked at the hotel, how did you enter the hotel?
Were you involved in casting Alexis?
ND:I wasnt, but Alexis lived down the street from me, so we could meet up.
Alexis, were you sitting there studying every nuance of Neffs movements and mannerisms?
Alexis Floyd:I was.
I must confess, Neff, I was watching you.
I love the way you move.
You have this glide about you.
Neff was really generous and let me record some of our conversations for private use.
Neff is an incredibly self-studied, intelligent person who knows herself inside and out in a really special way.
Neff, has there been a different kind of attention on you now that the show has premiered?
ND:When the article came out in 2018, it was more of a Twitter world.
Now that TikTok and Instagram are very popular, so many people started following me.
Of course, I got negative and positive messages it was tough the first few days.
As a Black woman, I know we are pitted against Caucasian women a lot of times.
It was based on how she treated me.
I never saw the bad side of Anna.
I never got scammed by her.
She never didnt pay me back.
It is interesting to see people disappointed in my friendship with Anna.
Im like that with all my friends.
All my real friends are watching, and theyre like, Youre like this with me.
Neff, how much of your relationship with Anna is accurate in the show?
Alexis, are you surprised by how strong her loyalty is to Anna?
ND:Its almost like a seesaw.
I have to set boundaries.
Sometimes I wont answer the phone because I had to let her know I have my freedom.
I didnt do anything wrong.
Im not going to be able to answer every single phone call from jail.
But if you need some panties or some coconut milk for Thanksgiving, Ill send it.
As far as our friendship now that shes been released … Im all the way on the West Coast.
Shes in Orange County, New York.
We speak as much as we can, which is like once a month right now.
I spoke to her yesterday, actually.
Its like, if Im bored, Ill pick up.
AF:I remain impressed, first and foremost, with Neffs loyalty to herself.
You really stayed center, girl.
You were listening to your body.
You were trusting your gut.
And you were able to be respectful but still have distance.
Theres alsoInventing Annaactress Katie Lowessdepiction of Rachel DeLoache Williams.
Neff, do you think the show depicted her fairly and accurately?
ND:You know, I respect Shondaland.
Im not going to go against the Rachel depiction because thats how the writers saw the Rachel character.
Its loosely based on all of us.
As far as how I feel about Rachel, I really dont have any feelings toward her.
Me and Rachel were never friends.Anna was the only middleman between us.
She has said unkind things, and she doesnt really care for me.
She really loved Anna.
Anna also wanted to be Rachel in a way because Rachel was legit.
She had theVanity Fairconnects.
I think they both pull different things out of each other.
It shows up in different ways.
Rachel has symptoms of it.
Anna has symptoms of it.
Neff, how relieved are you that you didnt go on that trip to Morocco with Anna and Rachel?
But Im so relieved.
I almost went to the point that Im the one that booked the hotel for them.
From Instagram, it looked like they had an amazing time.
I didnt know until Jessica contacted me how bad it went.
Wait, you didnt have any connection with Anna or Rachel after the Morocco trip?
ND:The last time I saw Anna, she had paid her bill at the hotel.
Shed pulled up in a Tesla and was like Im out, bitch.
I was like, Okay, rich stuff.
I thought she could just leave, and I went on with my life.
Whats your relationship like now with Pressler?
ND:Weve kept in contact once a week for three years.
Its like having a mom in New York.
And in this country, it can literally be a matter of life or death.
Or freedom or not.
Its not like Anna is super stunning, gorgeous, or whatever.
Anna literally just used her skin in a way to convince people like, Why would I lie?
Annas confidence on top of her skin tone helped her get through a lot of doors.
Shondaland shows us that classism and racism.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Correction: A previous version of this piece misidentified a photo from Neff Daviss Instagram.
It has been corrected.
