Convicted con artist Anna Delvey says her path to the latest season of “Dancing With the Stars” involved an extra step.

The fraudulent fashionista, who served as inspiration for the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” and was convicted in 2019 on eight counts including grand theft, said she obtained clearance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before traveling from New York to Los Angeles to film ABC’s long-running celebrity competition show. Delvey (born Anna Sorokin) will be among 13 stars vying for the latest Mirror Ball trophy when “DWTS” returns later this month.

“I was kind of talked into it. I got permission from ICE and then it was kind of too late to back out,” Delvey told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, shortly after her casting was announced.

Delvey, 33, was released from prison in February 2021 and taken into ICE custody months later after immigration officials claimed she had overstayed her visa and needed to return to her native Germany. In October 2022, a judge ruled that Delvey could be confined at home while she fights her deportation. Delvey was also ordered to wear an ankle monitor.

Today, the monitor is Delvey’s ballroom accessory.

When “DWTS” revealed its full lineup, it described Delvey in a press release as the “infamous ankle bracelet fashionista” who will be working with pro Ezra Sosa. Delvey’s “DWTS” cast photo shows her in a gold sequin dress and ballroom shoes with her ankle bracelet just above her right foot.

Con artist Anna Delvey, who inspired the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” will star in season 33 of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”

(Andrew Eccles / Disney)

When asked if the ankle bracelet would affect her movements, Delvey assured THR that “it’s actually pretty light.”

Before her “DWTS” debut, Delvey faced criticism on social media for her casting. Some fans on a Reddit page dedicated to “DWTS” questioned Devley’s “star” status, pointing out that she scammed people and companies out of $275,000. Other fans joked, “This is iconic.”

“It’s just not that serious,” Delvey told People of the backlash. “If someone is that upset about being cast on a dance show, I don’t know what to say to them.”

Recent celebrity dance competitions also include Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik, as well as “Bachelorette” star Jenn Tran, Dwight Howard, Tori Spelling and Phaedra Parks.

Season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars,” co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, premieres September 17 on ABC.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.