Anna Delvey said she obtained permission from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to compete in “Dancing With The Stars,” and plans to participate in the show while wearing her ankle monitor.
The 33-year-old convicted con artist gained notoriety for posing as a German heiress to defraud a group of investors, banks and hotels, Forbes reported. It was estimated that she managed to steal roughly $275,000 during her trial, according to People. Delvey was arrested in 2017 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. She was released in February 2021 for good behavior. ICE moved in and took Delvey into custody shortly following her release for breaching her Visa agreement, according to People.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 6: Anna Delvey is seen arriving at an immigration hearing on June 6, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images) Getty Images
Delvey — actually Anna Sorkin — was convicted of multiple charges, among them grand larceny in the first, second and third degree, as well as theft of services. She has been under house arrest in New York City while her deportation case is fought out, according to People. The told the outlet she appealed to ICE when the opportunity surfaced for her to participate in the competitive reality television show.
She reportedly explained how she was able to gain clearance to travel for “Dancing With The Stars” in spite of her legal woes.
“Well, [DWTS] approached my team and I had to request ICE for permission to travel out of state because its being filmed in Los Angeles and I’m based in New York,” Delvey told People.
“It took them about 10 days to get it through the system and to get everything approved,” she reportedly said.
Anna Sorokin better known as Anna Delvey, the 28-year-old German national, whose family moved there in 2007 from Russia, is seen in the courtroom during her trial at New York State Supreme Court in New York on April 11, 2019. – The self-styled German heiress has been charged with grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled various people and businesses. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Delvey wasted no time packing up and leaving her home.
“By the time I got the approval, it was very close to the starting day so I kind of flew to LA pretty much the next day and I just decided why not?” she said, according to People.
Delvey was asked if she felt she would face backlash for being a participant on the show, but she reportedly shrugged off any thought of this being an issue.
“It’s just not that serious. If someone is that upset about casting on a dancing show, I don’t know what to tell them,” she told People.
Delvey has reportedly been paired with partner Ezra Sosa for the dance competition show, but has been cautioned that she must continue to wear her ankle bracelet at all times, even while dancing. The convicted criminal didn’t seem phased by that thought in the least, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
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“In what way would it affect my performance? It’s actually pretty light,” she told THR. (RELATED: Tom Hanks Issues PSA Cautioning Fans About Alleged Scams Using His Name)
Other celebrity competitors that will appear in this season’s show include, Phaedra Parks, Eric Roberts, Tori Spelling, Dwight Howard, Brooks Nader, Joey Graziadei, Jenn Tran, Chandler Kinney, Stephen Nedoroscik and Reginald VelJohnson, according to Good Morning America.
