From Rikers to the Rumba: Anna Delvey's Controversial DWTS Stint and Pop Culture Hot Takes

Anna Sorokin BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Anna Sorokin, known to the world as Anna Delvey, was back in headlines this week after her highly controversial stint on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Official announcements finally ended the swirling rumors: yes, the fake heiress would take to the ballroom floor, ankle monitor and all, after securing explicit permission from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to her ongoing legal status and pending visa case. According to People magazine, Anna was paired with Ezra Sosa, and her appearance immediately ignited outrage among fans and commentators, including Whoopi Goldberg, who questioned the wisdom of featuring a convicted felon on primetime TV, reminding audiences of families who have suffered at the hands of ICE. Anna herself seemed unfazed, telling USA TODAY she was nervous and keen to reinvent herself, even as Cheryl Burke and the internet at large roasted her presence as "glorifying" infamy.

The actual DWTS debut was met with a mix of fascination and dismay. Ratings for the season premiere spiked, reflecting renewed curiosity, but Anna’s performance failed to win over judges or the audience. Judge Derek Hough admitted he was “lost for words” while Bruno Tonioli gave faint praise about Anna’s constant reinvention. Carrie Ann Inaba called out an obvious tension in the room. Though Anna described herself as an “underdog” willing to work hard to win people over, her run was short-lived, with elimination coming after a mere couple of performances. Her responses remained characteristically curt—her summary of the experience: “Nothing.”

Off the dance floor, Anna kept her social media presence vibrant and combative, pivoting abruptly to weigh in on pop culture. Just after her DWTS exit, she turned her attention to Taylor Swift, unleashing a series of controversial and caustic tweets about the pop superstar’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl. Delvey called Swift a “self-reinforcing mythos engineered by technocapital for maximum libidinal capture,” which triggered a flurry of backlash, with commenters piling on to defend Swift and question Anna’s motives.

Anna continued to use her restricted freedom in New York to pop up at select public events, recently attending screenings and the Alexander Wang show during New York Fashion Week, where the ankle monitor continues to be her most consistent accessory. Businesswise, reports note that she’s leveraging notoriety for paid TV gigs and brand partnerships, while still fighting to remain in the U.S. The media universe remains split: some outlets marvel at her ability to keep herself relevant, others criticize what they see as society’s glamourization of criminal behavior. Her case—and her knack for self-promotion—continues to spark endless debate around wealth, privilege, and the spectacle of reinvention.

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