Author explores NYC and scandals in ‘The Most Famous Girl in the World’

In her new novel, “The Most Famous Girl in the World,” author Iman Hariri-Kia tells the story of a young journalist who uncovers the secrets of a high-society scammer.

The native New Yorker said she drew much inspiration from Manhattan and wanted the city itself to play a central role in the book.

“I think one of the best parts of being a New Yorker is that you get to experience the city growing and changing and evolving,” Hariri-Kia said during an interview on “Mornings On 1” Thursday. “When you live in New York, it’s not necessarily that New York is a character in your story. You get to be a part of New York’s story, which is incredible.”

While some might see parallels between the novel’s socialite scammer and real-life figure Anna Delvey, Hariri-Kia revealed her inspiration actually came from reality TV star Joe Exotic, also known as the “Tiger King.”

“I actually first had the idea to write ‘The Most Famous Girl in the World’ when the news broke that the then-president of the United States had promised to pardon the Tiger King,” she said. “He was a reality star who was serving a sentence for attempted murder for hire. I was at dinner, and my fiancé turned to me and said, ‘Can you imagine if the most famous person in the world was an actual murderer and people just couldn’t have cared less?’ And immediately the wheel started to turn in my brain.”