Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, the notorious figure who once navigated New York’s high society with fabricated tales of German heiress status, recently traded courtroom dramas for dance steps. Her venture into the world of competitive dance on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” concluded abruptly this Tuesday, marking her first-round exit from the show.
Following her swift departure from the reality TV spotlight, Sorokin engaged in an exclusive conversation with NBC News, addressing the considerable criticism surrounding her casting and the dramatic nature of her elimination.
In an email statement, Sorokin expressed her perspective on the show’s intentions, stating, “I feel that the show so obviously used me to drive up the ratings, that they never had any plans to give me any chance to grow and only cared about exploiting me for attention. It was predatory of them to try [to] make me feel inadequate and stupid all while I did get progressively better yet they chose to disregard that.”
Representatives for “Dancing With the Stars” have yet to issue an official response to these comments.
Sorokin’s past involves a 2019 conviction for defrauding friends and financial institutions out of substantial sums, all while maintaining the facade of a wealthy German heiress. Despite her ongoing immigration case for visa overstay, ABC announced her participation in the 33rd season of “Dancing With the Stars” alongside figures like actress Tori Spelling and Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik. This casting immediately sparked controversy, given Sorokin’s history.
During Tuesday night’s episode, Sorokin and Spelling faced elimination. Sorokin, partnered with Ezra Sosa, performed a quickstep to KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See,” notably with her court-mandated ankle monitor visible. The previous week, their cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” earned them 18 out of 30 points.
Sorokin voiced her disappointment with the judging and viewer reception, stating, “It felt like I was never really given a fair chance by the viewers or some of the judges’ given their nonsensical scoring. It’s supposed to be a dance competition and not a popularity contest.”
When co-host Julianne Hough inquired about her takeaways from the experience, Sorokin’s terse reply, “Nothing,” followed by laughter, quickly became a talking point. Her subsequent admission that her favorite aspect of the show was “getting eliminated” further fueled online discussions and memes, intensifying the scrutiny on ABC’s decision to cast her. Her participation itself required special permission from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to travel to Los Angeles, exceeding her New York-based house arrest radius.
Public Outcry and Industry Criticism
The announcement of Sorokin, dubbed the “notorious ankle bracelet fashionista,” on “DWTS” season 33 triggered immediate public backlash. Many viewers criticized ABC for seemingly celebrating a convicted felon. “DWTS” veteran and choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy publicly labeled her a “professional liar” and ridiculed her dance abilities on a TMZ podcast. Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of “The View,” also questioned the “special treatment” Sorokin received from authorities to participate in the show.
Sorokin’s Perspective: Second Chances and Double Standards
Sorokin, who was released from prison in 2021 only to be re-detained by ICE for visa issues, spent another 18 months incarcerated before her release on bond in October 2022. Initially under house arrest in Manhattan, she later relocated to the Hudson Valley before her house arrest terms were revised, allowing her to return to social media and eventually travel to Los Angeles for “Dancing With the Stars.”
However, her time in Hollywood was overshadowed by negativity. Sorokin expressed that the intense criticism highlighted “how easily people will judge you without getting to know you or the true facts of your story.”
Conrad Green, the showrunner for “Dancing With the Stars,” defended her casting in a Variety interview, acknowledging public fascination with Sorokin. “Anna is fascinating to a lot of people… so I think there is an inherent curiosity about her,” Green stated. He argued for her inclusion as a “valid and interesting part of that cast,” pointing out that the show has featured individuals with criminal backgrounds in the past.
Sorokin herself pointed out this perceived hypocrisy, noting the “double standard” as other convicted felons had appeared on the show without similar condemnation. She conveyed her desire for a fresh start, “I’m trying to start a new chapter moving past mistakes I made and regret when I was much younger. Not sure when people will finally afford me that second chance and stop persecuting me so I have the opportunity to move on with my life.”
Partner Support and Emotional Toll
Ezra Sosa, Sorokin’s dance partner, publicly supported her, revealing in a TikTok video that she was “crying” in the bathroom due to the online hate. He acknowledged the wrongfulness of her past actions but emphasized that “nobody deserves the amount of hate she’s getting” and advocated for her second chance.
Sorokin admitted to being unprepared for the online animosity, particularly after a seven-year absence from social media. Despite feeling positive about her initial dance performance, the “hatred directed at me online and just how mean-spirited people can be hiding behind their keyboards” deeply affected her.
Looking ahead, Sorokin mentioned she likely wouldn’t continue watching the show, though she expressed support for actor Reginald VelJohnson. “I don’t watch TV,” she concluded, seemingly ready to move on from her brief but eventful stint in the ballroom.
