Former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant and convicted felon Anna “Delvey” Sorokin speaks out after Week 2 elimination, calling the show “predatory” and saying she doesn't want to watch it. He claims that he appeared only to collect money.
The 33-year-old, who was born in Russia under the Soviet Union, says she was not given a fair chance.
“I feel like the show clearly took advantage of me to boost ratings. They never intended to give me a chance to grow, they just wanted to use me to get attention.” ,” Sorokin said. NBC News Via email. “It was predatory for them to try.” [to] All the while I was slowly getting better, they were making me feel inadequate and stupid, and yet they chose to ignore it. ”
Sorokin, who received 18 points and 17 points (out of a total of 30 points) for the two dances he performed each week, said, “I was not given a fair chance at all due to the meaningless scoring by the viewers and some judges.'' I felt like I wasn't doing it,” he said. . “It's supposed to be a dance contest, not a popularity contest.”
Anna “Delvey” Sorokin, the fake heiress who defrauded New York City's elite, is held in ice amid rumors of deportation
Anna “Delvey” Sorokin was paired with professional Ezra Sosa on the 32nd season of “Dancing with the Stars.” (Disney/Eric McCandless/Getty Images)
Sorokin added: “I'm trying to get over the mistakes and regrets I made when I was younger and start a new chapter.” “I don't know when people will give me a second chance, stop persecuting me, and give me a chance to move on with my life.”
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Anna Sorokin believes she was cast to increase ratings. (Disney/Eric McCandless/Getty Images)
“It's supposed to be a dance contest, not a popularity contest.”
After posing as a wealthy heiress (Anna Delvey) for years and defrauding organizations and individuals, Sorokin was convicted in 2019 of grand larceny, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services and sentenced to four to 12 years. was sentenced to imprisonment.
She served two years in prison before being released on parole, but because her visa had expired, she was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sorokin was eventually released from prison in 2022 and placed under strict house arrest, with no access to social media. ICE had to get Sorokin's permission before he could join the cast of “Dancing with the Stars.”
Anna Delvey photographed at Manhattan Supreme Court in May 2019. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
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After ABC announced Sorokin's addition to the cast, social media users initially had a field day, with many expressing outrage. The backlash and hysteria were further amplified after promotional photos of Sorokin and her dance partner Ezra Sosa were released, and Sorokin's court-issued ankle monitor was visibly displayed.
Anna “Delvey” Sorokin's ankle monitor caused quite a stir on social media. (Disney/Andrew Eccles)
Speaking to Fox News Digital during the premiere episode, Sorokin joked that producers “measured” whether her ankle monitor matched perfectly with her elaborate costume.
WATCH: A closer look at 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant Anna 'Delvey' ankle monitor look
In an episode of the podcast released this weekend, Sorokin reiterated his frustration during a conversation with Tori Spelling. The “Beverly Hills, 90210” star was also a contestant on the competition show, but was eliminated the same week as Sorokin.
“I felt like it was a waste of time to do all this, that they would just dump me,” Sorokin told Spelling.Misspelling” podcast. “It almost seems like that. [a] It was a negative experience, at least for me, but afterwards it was a positive experience. ”
Anna Sorokin, who was photographed during her elimination, went viral for her lackluster and lackluster answer that she wasn't taking “nothing” away from the “Dancing with the Stars” experience. (Disney/Eric McCandless/Getty Images)
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After her elimination last Tuesday, Sorokin made headlines for her reaction to what she got out of the show. “Nothing,” she told co-host Julianne Hough, a professional dancer.
“That was the truth,” Sorokin told Spelling of his honest and unvarnished reaction on the night of the loss. ”[The show] Told me what I should do. I tried to do it, but it was still rejected. And I will not take anything away,” she said, “Your advice was in vain. The advice you gave me, although I tried to follow it, was not rewarding for me.
Sorokin and ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
