Recently, the newest Dancing with the Stars cast for season 33 was released. There were many exciting celebrities this year, including Team USA rugby player Ilona Maher, and 2-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola. People across all social media platforms have been excitedly discussing the diverse cast of sports stars, actors, and models. But one contestant stood out among the rest. This was Anna Delvey with her controversial claim to fame.

The Story Behind the Bedazzled Criminal

For those who don’t know, Anna Delvey, also known as Anna Sorokin, was a famous con artist who scammed her way into the inner circle of the wealthiest people in New York City. During this time, she pretended to be a wealthy German heiress. She scammed many people, hotels, and banks. She convinced everyone she was rich, using fake bank statements and invalid credit cards. She kept up this act for a while, going from hotel to hotel and paying for everything with money that she didn’t have.

In 2017, she was caught. At the time, she had stolen about $275,000. On April 25th, 2019, she was found guilty and was sentenced to 4-12 years in state prison.  She was released in 2022 for good behavior but was on house arrest. To this day, she remains on house arrest, but her “house” has now been expanded to both NYC and LA.

What Made Her Join DWTS and Why Has It Created Controversy

During her time in jail, she would watch Dancing with the Stars and Season 30 inspired her to want to compete. She applied to be on the season and was allowed to move her house arrest to Los Angeles instead of New York. Her partner for the competition, Ezra Sousa, was extremely excited to work with her. According to a US Weekly interview, Sousa said, “She’s super sweet. She has a really dry sense of humor, which is, like, my personal favorite.” The two of them have been getting along very well, and look forward to the start of the season.

Outside of the studio, the media has been going crazy over Anna. She has been called both a criminal and an icon by the news within a couple of days after the announcement. Social media platforms, like TikTok, have been filling people’s feeds with hundreds of videos discussing if she should be allowed to compete. Anna doesn’t seem to mind all of the hate she is getting and is instead focusing on the competition. She plans on bedazzling her ankle monitor and showing it off, instead of trying to hide it.

In the end, whether you think Anna is an icon or a con artist, she is excited to be competing in Dancing with the Stars and plans on winning.