*Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for episode 2, “Oscars Night” on Dancing with the Stars
We are just one week into season 33 of Dancing with the Stars, and the drama just keeps on coming. However, this year, the drama started before the show even premiered.
In early September, it was reported that the hit ballroom dancing show had cast convicted felon Anna Delvey (AKA Anna Sorokin) as one of its “celebrity” contestants. Delvey shot to infamy in 2018 when Vanity Fair published an article written by Delvey’s former friend, Rachel Williams. In the article, Williams detailed how the fake German heiress had scammed her out of thousands of dollars.
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In 2019, a New York jury convicted Delvey/Sorokin of attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services. She was sentenced to between four and twelve years in prison, and she has been on house arrest since 2022.
Anna Delvey was partnered with professional dancer Ezra Sosa this season. However, their time on the dance floor came to an end on September 24, when she was eliminated from the show. During her exit interview, host Julianne Hough asked the convicted criminal what she would take away from her time on the show.
Delvey’s answer was short, to the point, and stunned dedicated fans — “Nothing.”
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As you can see, Sosa appeared to be surprised by Delvey’s answer, while Hough just laughed it off. But while Delvey might have made it seem like she was unbothered by her elimination, she might have cared more than she let on.
Sosa shared a video on Instagram in which he asked viewers to give the fake heiress “some grace.” He said that after the first week, he felt a lot of positivity and received a lot of love. Delvey, on the other hand, did not. He said that she was found crying in the bathroom because of all the negative comments she received.
Week 1 hit way harder than expected. Hoping everyone gives Anna some grace. She’s working so hard to start fresh, and we’re only just getting started… @dancingwiththestars @theannadelvey #dwts
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Since her casting was announced, Disney and ABC have faced a lot of backlash for casting a convicted felon, especially one who has said she is not sorry for what she did. Delvey further angered fans when she said that she didn’t really care about the show and that, if she won, she would put the coveted Mirrorball Trophy in storage.
Delvey had been granted special permission to travel to Los Angeles while working on and filming the show. Now that she has been eliminated, she will have to travel back to New York, where she will fight her deportation. Delvey/Sorokin was born in Russia in 1991 and was raised in Germany. She did not move to the United States until 2013, and almost immediately, she began defrauding people.
Last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars was a double elimination. Along with Delvey and Sosa, actress Tori Spelling and her partner Pasha Pashkov were also eliminated.
Are you glad that Anna Delvey was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars? Who is your favorite contestant this season? Let us know in the comments!
