‘She preyed upon that empathy’: the TV writer who faked having cancer

Elisabeth Finch was a TV writer who worked on Grey's Anatomy for seven years, crafting episodes based on her personal experiences. She wrote about having a rare form of bone cancer, needing an abortion during cancer treatment, and being a victim of sexual assault. Finch's stories brought her industry acclaim, social media clout, and a close relationship with Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes. However, in 2022, a Vanity Fair investigation revealed that Finch's stories were fabricated. The investigation, now adapted into a Peacock docuseries called Anatomy of Lies, portrayed Finch as a prolific liar who preyed on others' empathy for attention and sympathy. Finch had also claimed to have helped clean up the remains of a friend killed in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting and to have pulled the plug on her brother's life support after a suicide attempt, but these stories were also found to be false. Finch's deceptions were so extensive that they fooled even her closest colleagues and friends. The docuseries explores the extent of Finch's lies and the impact they had on those around her. Finch's ability to spin personal trauma into television gold had brought her success, but it was all built on a foundation of deceit. The investigation and docuseries have exposed Finch's fabrications, revealing a complex and disturbing pattern of behavior.