Convicted con artist Anna “Delvey” Sorokin has made her debut on Dancing With The Stars – sporting a sparkly ankle monitor.
The so-called “fake heiress”, who swindled Manhattan’s elite out of huge sums, took to the dancefloor on Tuesday as the US TV show returned for a new series.
Sorokin defrauded banks and New York City big names to the tune of around $67m (£61m) to fund her jet-setting lifestyle – and was later jailed.
Prison did nothing to dent her fame, however, with the Netflix series Inventing Anna debuting on the streaming site while she was still behind bars.
Now she’s back in the public eye, swapping prison bars for Dancing With The Stars.
Anna Sorokin when she appeared in court on grand larceny charges in 2018. Pic: AP
“It’s actually not a big issue at all,” Sorokin said of the ankle monitor after the premiere.
“It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad.”
“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said after her routine. “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.”
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Her dance partner Ezra Sosa called the bedazzled ankle monitor “the real star of the show”.
Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history.
“Hopefully people will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution,” she said.
Read more:
Who is Anna Delvey?
Julia Garner stars as Anna Sorokin in Inventing Anna. Pic: Nicole Rivelli/Netflix
Sorokin was released from prison in February 2021 but was picked up by immigration authorities shortly after she got out, over allegations she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany.
She was in the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for more than a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation.
Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming Dancing With The Stars.