Viewers have fiercely slammed Dancing With the Stars for including ‘criminal’ Anna Delvey in its latest season – as the fraudster made her debut performance with a bedazzled ankle monitor.
The 33rd season of the long-running competition series premiered on Tuesday, but several fans were unamused when convicted fake heiress Anna, 33, took to the stage.
Immediately, social media was flooded with any angry messages about her participation in the show, with many bashing the network for allowing the felon to compete on the ‘famous dance floor.’
‘She is a damn criminal,’ one outraged viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
‘I hate Dancing With the Stars for allowing this piece of trash to step onto their famous dance floor,’ added another. ‘And her dancing is weak.’
Viewers have slammed Dancing With the Stars for including ‘criminal’ Anna Delvey in its latest season – as the fraudster made her debut performance with a bedazzled ankle monitor
The 33rd season of the competition series premiered on Tuesday, but several fans were unamused when convicted fake heiress Anna (seen during her trial), 33, took to the stage
‘Anna Delvey on the show is such a joke,’ a third tweet read. ‘Y’all really couldn’t find someone else to cast? Ankle bracelet? WTF.’
‘I’m sorry but why are we rewarding Anna Sorokin’s bad behavior by giving this clearly mentally disturbed woman exactly what she wants… a spotlight and a platform,’ asked a different viewer.
‘DWTS has had some crazy picks but THIS is a new low.’
Someone else branded her performance as ‘lackluster,’ while another user said it ‘sucked all the energy and happiness out of the ballroom.’
‘It was something I don’t think I’ve witnessed in 33 seasons,’ added the latter. ‘Honestly, that was kind of shocking.’
‘Is it possible to charge Anna Delvey with another crime for how emotionless that dance was?’ joked a different user.
‘Holy crap Anna’s energy/vibe is so bad I’m sorry,’ scathed someone else.
‘Anna is giving emotionless robot,’ read another tweet.
Immediately, social media was flooded with any angry messages, with many slamming the network for allowing the felon to compete and others bashing her performance
Anna danced to Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso with her partner, pro dancer Ezra Sousa
During her debut performance, Anna notably had on a very sparkly ankle monitor that was ballroom-worthy
Anna danced to Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso with her partner, pro dancer Ezra Sousa.
The judges gave her straight sixes for the performance, for a total of 18 points, and the audience was noticeably less enthusiastic while cheering for her than they were for the other competitors.
Anna – whose real name Anna Sorokin – spent years posing as a wealthy heiress while defrauding a series of banks, hotels, and individuals out of $275,000.
She was arrested in 2017 and found guilty of grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services.
Her story inspired the wildly popular Netflix series Inventing Anna, which starred Anna Chlumsky, Julia Garner, and Arian Moayed.
As soon as it was leaked last month that Anna would be on the show, many people took to social media to share their outrage.
‘This next celebrity is scamming her way on to the dance floor. Here to show her dancing abilities are no fraud, it’s Anna Delvey and (partner)!’ one person sarcastically wrote on X.
Another said: ‘I had to comment on the #DWTS cast real quick. Anna Delvey, really? Casting decisions like this is why [former longtime host] Tom Bergeron quit.’
Anna has said that she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.
The judges gave her straight sixes for the performance, for a total of 18 points, and the audience was less enthusiastic while cheering for her than they were for other competitors
Anna has said that she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history. She told AP, ‘Hopefully people will give me a chance to show what I can do. I served my time’
‘Hopefully people will give me a chance to show what I can do. I served my time and I repaid my restitution,’ she said to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities picked her up shortly after she got out, claiming she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany.
The Inventing Anna inspiration was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022, while she fights deportation.
Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming of the show.
During her debut performance, Anna notably had on a very sparkly ankle monitor that was ballroom-worthy.
‘It’s actually not a big issue at all,’ she told AP of her ankle monitor after the premiere.
‘It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad.’
‘It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,’ her dance partner Ezra joked.
‘It’s not like an ankle weight. It´s not like 20 pounds. It´s like literally less than a pound and it’s not a big deal.’
Afterwards, Anna acknowledged that her debut didn’t go as planned, admitting to AP that she felt like she could have done a ‘little bit better.’
Anna spent years posing as a wealthy heiress while defrauding a series of banks, hotels, and individuals out of $275,000. She’s seen in a promo shot for DWTS
‘I feel relieved that it’s over,’ she said. ‘I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.’
During a voiceover on the show, the felon addressed her criminal past.
She said : ‘In 2017, I was accused of multiple counts of grand larceny. I did serve my time, and Dancing With the Stars is a way to show people a different side of me.
‘My prior history shows I’m pretty determined. It’s a good quality to channel into something positive.’
Anna explained that she was wearing the ankle bracelet because she ‘overstayed her visa because she was in jail.’
‘It was hard to leave,” she added with a laugh. ‘I’ve reinvented myself many times. This time I’m going to be a ballroom dancer.’
Also on the show are Olympic pommel horse hero Stephen Nedoroscik, Tori Spelling, Bachelor Nation’s Joey Graziadei, and Jenn Tran.