Anna Delvey spoke out after her recent elimination from Dancing with the Stars Season 33, claiming she never received a “fair chance” to win the show.
In addition, she blasted the dance competition show, claiming they used her only to get ratings.
Delvey, real name Anna Sorokin, was a controversial addition to the newest cast, attracting much backlash from viewers due to her criminal conviction, house arrest, and ongoing deportation battle.
She appeared throughout promotional content and on the dancefloor wearing her ankle bracelet monitor after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asked her to do so while participating in the dance competition show.
The fake heiress played up the ankle monitor, even giving it a bedazzled look to sparkle for dances.
While Delvey had many people talking, she and her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa, only lasted the first two weeks of DWTS.
Delvey fired back at ‘predatory’ show for using her
After getting eliminated during Week 2 of DWTS Season 33, Delvey had “nothing” much to say about her time on the show. However, she had much to say in her written remarks to NBC News.
The convicted con artist called out the show for using and exploiting her during her brief time on the show. In addition, she said they didn’t allow her much opportunity for growth or improvement.
“I feel that the show so obviously used me to drive up the ratings, that they never had any plans to give me any chance to grow and only cared about exploiting me for attention,” Delvey wrote.
“It was predatory of them to try [to] make me feel inadequate and stupid all while I did get progressively better yet they chose to disregard that,” she wrote to NBC News.
Week 2 was Oscar night, with the couples performing songs from popular and award-winning movies. Delvey and Sosa achieved a 17 score for their Two Step, which they performed to KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See from The Devil Wears Prada.
That gave them 35 after Week 1’s 18 score for their Cha-cha-cha. Unfortunately, they were among the lowest-scoring teams by the show’s end, and fan votes didn’t help.
Ultimately, Delvey and Sosa were among the two eliminations in the second week, with 90210 actress Tori Spelling and her dance partner, Pasha Pashkov, also eliminated.
Delvey hadn’t expected negative reactions to her DWTS appearance
Part of the harsh reaction to Delvey’s participation on ABC’s dance competition show often came due to her brief replies to co-host Julianne Hough’s questions.
“What are you going to take away from the competition?” Hough asked her on Oscars night.
“Nothing,” she said, bringing audible laughter from host Alfonso Ribeiro.
“There you have it, absolutely nothing!” Hough said before walking away.
“Oh, stop it, you had fun,” Ribeiro said to Delvey from across the dancefloor.
Her debut on the show featured DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba defending her and asking the audience and viewers to give her a chance. In podcast remarks, former DWTS dancer Cheryl Burke criticized Delvey, saying she needed to show more emotion during her routines.
Fan comments online were brutal, with many blasting Delvey for being allowed to participate in the show and saying it sent the wrong message. Her dance partner even mentioned seeing her crying after seeing some of them.
During Week 2, Hough asked her how she felt reading all those negative comments she had received.
“I mean, I didn’t expect so much backlash, but it’s a new week, and I’m trying to get through it,” she said.
She’s now through it and done with the show. DWTS no longer has the controversial celebrity to gain viewers, with the competition for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy still on full display.
Dancing with the Stars airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+.