Anna Sorokin, the con artist who was convicted in 2019 of defrauding banks, hotels and friends after falsely building the reputation of a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, has launched her latest project: Dancing With the Stars.
Sorokin, described in a press release as a “notorious ankle bracelet fashionista,” was announced on Good Morning America on Wednesday alongside the likes of former NBA star Dwight Howard, actress Tori Spelling and Jenn Tran, the leading lady of The Bachelorette, whose season ended in heartbreaking fashion just Tuesday night. Tran, the first Asian-American Bachelorette, was a contestant on Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor – and he, too, will compete for the trophy.
Sorokin’s latest starring role is complicated by the ankle bracelet she has been wearing since October 2022, when she began her house arrest – although the show appears to address this with a promo image of Sorokin in a sparkly dress and an ankle bracelet on her leg. Although she was released from prison in February 2021, she was detained by immigration authorities shortly after her release, citing that she had overstayed her visa and needed to be returned to her native Germany. The inspiration for “Inventing Anna” was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for over a year before a judge cleared her path to house arrest in October 2022 while she fights the deportation case.
Ice has not responded to inquiries about changes to Sorokin’s house arrest conditions to allow filming in the Los Angeles area. Sorokin’s spokeswoman Juda Engelmayer confirmed Tuesday that under current house arrest conditions she can travel within 70 miles (112 km) of her home base and anywhere in the five boroughs of New York City, but could not comment on any changes to those rules.
While on house arrest, she had to abide by an immigration judge’s order not to use social media, but Sorokin stayed busy. She started a podcast – The Anna Delvey Show – with guests including comedian Whitney Cummings and technology journalist Taylor Lorenz, who traveled to her apartment in New York City’s East Village to record.
“So many people have become famous for bad things and have been able to turn them into something else,” she said in an interview with the Associated Press in June 2023.
Dancing With the Stars is Sorokin’s first attempt to achieve that goal in the mainstream world. She will compete in the upcoming 33rd season, which premieres September 17 on ABC and Disney+.
Sorokin will join the U.S. team’s rising star from the Olympics, Stephen Nedoroscik – better known online as “Pommel Horse Guy.” The 25-year-old, who won two bronze medals in Paris, was the first competitor announced in August, fresh off his Olympic high. He became an internet sensation thanks to memes about his pre-competition preparation and his Superman-like transformation before he hit the floor.
Another U.S. Olympian will participate: Ilona Maher, the rugby player and bronze medalist who became a social media darling with her funny TikToks and body-positivity content.
The series, hosted by Alfonso Riberio and Julianne Hough, also announced that Ezra Sosa, a former member of the show’s dance troupe, will be among those promoted to “pro” this season; he is Sorokin’s partner. Artem Chigvintsev, who was arrested last week on domestic violence charges, will not return as a pro.
