Socialite con artist Anna Sorokin competes on new season of 'Dancing with the Stars'
Convicted con artist Anna Sorokin, who gained notoriety for faking her identity as a wealthy heiress, has joined the cast for the newest season of the dance competition series Dancing with the Stars.
During the premiere night of the show's thirty-third season on Sept. 17. Sorokin showcased her moves with her professional dance partner Ezra Sosa to the beat of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso.
Her performance was notable as she had to wear an ankle monitor with sparkly embellishments during the dance routine. This device helps track the movements of individuals who have been sentenced to restricted travel or activities.
To recall, Sorokin, the subject of Netflix hit series Inventing Anna, was convicted in 2019 for defrauding banks, hotels, and friends as she posed as a rich German heiress under the name of "Anna Delvey." She was arrested during a sting operation two years prior.
While she was released from prison in 2021, she committed another violation when immigration authorities brought her back into custody for overstaying her visa in New York and must be returned to her native Germany.
She is still under house arrest, hence her use of an ankle monitor for the show. Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.
When asked if the device hindered her performance, Sorokin told the Associated Press, "It’s actually not a big issue at all. 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 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," she added.
Regarding her dance, she admitted that there were lots of improvements to be made.
"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," she shared.
Sorokin also hoped that viewers would not make her criminal history too much of an issue, saying, "Hopefully people will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution."
Apart from the so-called "fake heiress," other celebrity participants of Dancing with the Stars Season 33 include Tori Spelling, Eric Roberts, and Chandler Kinney, among others.
