Anna Delvey reveals the secrets behind her rhinestone-studded ankle bracelet for “Dancing With the Stars.”
Following the season 33 premiere on Tuesday, the former “fake heiress” turned fashion PR agent spoke exclusively to Page Six Style about how she worked with the show’s costume team to add some bling to her court-ordered tracking device.
“Well, we worked with the costume department. Of course, we couldn’t leave the anklet bare, so we decided to match it (to my dress),” explained Delvey, who has been under house arrest since 2022.
“And it’s like a little sleeve,” she clarified, noting that the rhinestones were applied to fabric and not glued “directly” to her ankle bracelet, although some “people have complained about that.” “So it was a fun little thing!”
Her pro partner Ezra Sosa has also worn his own version of an anklet in recent TikToks promoting the dance competition series. However, his homemade accessory has not yet been seen in the live show.
“Honestly, they asked me not to wear it,” he told us while chatting with us on the red carpet. “I was planning on wearing it, but I think that’s something for, you know, maybe later this season.”
Delvey (real name: Anna Sorokin) was the subject of the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” after serving a prison sentence in 2019 for posing as a German heiress. She made headlines for defrauding companies and individuals of more than $250,000 from 2013 to 2017.
She has used her ankle bracelet as an accessory before, decorating it with an “A” during a court appearance this summer.
Before saying “yes” to “Dancing With the Stars,” the 33-year-old fashionista had to obtain special permission from ICE to travel from her hometown of New York to Los Angeles, where rehearsals and live shows take place every week.
And what happens when the show officially ends in LA – or when the dance duo is eliminated?
“My primary residence is still in New York, so I would just go back to New York,” Delvey confirmed, telling us she was recently back in the Big Apple with Sosa for New York Fashion Week. “But right now I’m allowed to travel back and forth to LA for work and just keep in touch with my bosses.”
At Tuesday’s premiere, Delvey’s rhinestone-embellished device took center stage as she and Sosa danced a cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” The pair received a total score of 18/30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
“I feel pretty good that it’s over,” the fashionista admitted to Page Six just moments after the show ended. “At first I wasn’t nervous, but as it got closer – because I was the last one (to dance) – I got nervous and felt like I could have danced better.”
She added: “But hopefully I will improve and do better next time.”
Meanwhile, Sosa was over the moon after making his professional debut this season. It was a special night as his sister Stephani was also dancing in the ballroom as a new member of the troupe.
“It was literally the best (night) ever… and it’s so nice to be in the ballroom with family,” he gushed, telling us there were definitely some tears of emotion before the show began. “Honestly, it couldn’t have been a better situation. It was really a very special moment for us.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
