The long-running TV show Dancing with the Stars is known for its glitzy performances, but this season’s premiere will feature an unexpected twist. Convicted fraudster Anna Delvey—real name Anna Sorokin—will take to the dance floor while wearing a bejeweled ankle monitor.
ABC, owned by Disney, introduced Sorokin in a press release as “an artist, fashion icon, and infamous NYC socialite,” playfully referring to her as a “notorious ankle bracelet fashionista.” She will join a diverse cast that includes an NBA veteran, reality-TV stars, and Olympians for the latest season of the US version of Strictly Come Dancing.
However, the decision to cast Sorokin has sparked controversy. Critics, including the New York Post, accused the show of glamorizing her criminal past, calling it “a new low for pop culture.” Some also questioned how she was permitted to participate in the show, given her status as a German-Russian citizen embroiled in a US immigration battle.
Sorokin’s ankle monitor is tied to her ongoing immigration case, not her original 2019 convictions. She gained notoriety after posing as a wealthy European heiress and scamming banks, lawyers, and luxury services out of over $200,000. Now, she faces deportation and has been fighting to stay in the US.
Public reaction to her Dancing with the Stars appearance is mixed. Some admire her resilience, viewing her as a symbol of the “warped American Dream,” while others denounce her self-promotion and lack of remorse. On The View, Whoopi Goldberg criticized her participation as evidence of a “two-tier immigration system” favoring the wealthy.
Sorokin first made headlines in 2018, after New York Magazine published an investigation detailing her exploits. Her story became the subject of the Netflix series Inventing Anna and the BBC podcast Fake Heiress. For years, she mingled with New York’s elite, aiming to secure a $22 million loan for an arts foundation under her fake identity.
Her legal troubles began in 2017 when she was arrested while on the run in California. She was convicted in 2019 of multiple theft-related charges and sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. After serving nearly four years, including time in the infamous Rikers Island jail, she was released in early 2021, but her problems were far from over.
Sorokin overstayed her visa and was re-arrested by immigration authorities in 2021. Despite facing deportation, she remains in the US, fighting her case while under house arrest. Her attorney, John Sandweg, a former acting head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated that her deportation case has been unusually prolonged due to ongoing appeals in her criminal case.
In addition to legal battles, Sorokin has continued to court media attention, launching her own podcast and conducting interviews while under house arrest. She even gave Vogue a tour of her East Village apartment. Despite being banned from social media for a time, recent changes to her parole conditions have relaxed these restrictions, allowing her to travel to Los Angeles for Dancing with the Stars filming.
Sorokin has also faced financial disputes, including a legal case filed by her landlord for unpaid rent, which was eventually resolved. Funding for her legal battles and media projects is believed to have come from a $320,000 payment by Netflix for her life story, part of which she was ordered to use to pay back victims of her fraud.
Not everyone is pleased with her continued rise to fame. Rachel Williams, a former friend and victim of Sorokin’s deception, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, claiming she was unfairly depicted in Inventing Anna. Williams was left with a $62,000 bill after Sorokin’s lavish, unpaid stay at a Moroccan resort. While Sorokin was found not guilty in court over that particular incident, the case left a lasting impact on Williams, who has publicly condemned Sorokin’s actions.
Despite the backlash, Dancing with the Stars executive producer Conrad Green defended the decision to cast Sorokin, stating, “She’s served her time. I think it’s perfectly valid for her to be on the show.”
Also read: Hip-Hop Mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs Arrested In New York On Federal Charges
