Anna Delvey Denies Dumping Rabbits After Prospect Park Photoshoot: The Full Story
Quinn Parker here, and yes I’ve had too much coffee, so grab a mug and buckle up because this one’s a hop, skip, and moral panic away from chaos. Fasten your seatbelt: Anna Delvey has publicly denied dumping rabbits used in a recent photoshoot in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, saying she was blindsided by an assistant’s plan to release the animals.
Okay, spill time. On August 7, photographer Jasper Soloff shared images of Anna Delvey in a short blue dress wearing an ankle monitor and holding two rabbits on leashes while posing around New York City. The visuals ignited an immediate social-media storm after a user claimed the rabbits looked like animals they found abandoned in Prospect Park. Page Six and multiple outlets picked up the allegation, and the backlash was swift.
On August 11, Delvey posted an explanation to her Instagram Story stating that Christian Batty, identified by the New York Post as her assistant, assured her he could “lend us bunnies for a few hours.” According to Delvey’s post, she later discovered Batty had not borrowed the rabbits from a legitimate source but had obtained them via Facebook Marketplace with the stated intent to release them in Prospect Park—an action she says she did not authorize.
Plain talk from Quinn: Delvey called the whole situation “deeply disturbing” and emphasized that she is an animal lover who neither eats meat nor condones harming animals. She wrote that she had no role in acquiring, transporting, or returning the rabbits and vowed not to use animals in future shoots while working to ensure the rabbits were safely rehomed.
The plot thickens with screenshots Delvey shared of group messages including photographer Jasper and publicist Kelly Cutrone. In those texts, Jasper confronts Christian asking whether the bunnies used were the same ones left in the park, writing, “It’s better to know then to lie to us.” Christian allegedly admitted to meeting someone in Yonkers through the Facebook page NYC Bunnies who was surrendering the pets, then panicking when the owner blocked him on follow-up. He claimed in text messages that he “was panicking with bunnies” and that was why he released them.
Christian later issued a public apology via an Instagram Story, now deleted, where he acknowledged he was 19, inexperienced with animal care, and overwhelmed. He admitted to believing there were existing rabbits in Prospect Park and that releasing them there “was my best option,” calling that belief wrong and expressing deep regret.
Rescue updates are slightly consoling: three of the rabbits reportedly ended up in foster care with animal rescuer Terry Chao, as reported by the New York Post. Another rabbit used in the shoot belonged to an Instagram user @natflowerss, who posted that her pet, Benito, is fine at home and said she didn’t previously know Anna or the team.
Media outreach is ongoing: E! News and other outlets have tried to contact Delvey and Christian for further comment but have not received additional responses. What remains clear is that social outrage, receipts, and screenshots accelerated the story, forcing public reckonings and quick damage control.
So where does this leave us? Delvey denies culpability, Christian admits panic-driven poor judgment, and at least some rabbits appear safe for now. The episode raises red flags about ethics in creative shoots, the risks of sourcing animals informally, and how fast social media turns an aesthetic moment into a crisis. Stay tuned because this feels like one of those tumbler-and-teacup stories that keeps delivering new receipts.
Okay, I need to calm down after that!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Page Six, New York Post, E! News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
