Anna Delvey Says She Got “Permission From ICE” for 'DWTS' and ...

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Anna Delvey say she’s ready for some fun and a workout after joining the cast of the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.

Delvey (whose real name is Anna Sorokin), is recognized as the convicted fraudster whose exploits were reported on in Jessica Pressler’s New York magazine article. The fake German heiress reportedly conned various Manhattanites into giving her hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, goods and services. The story was then dramatized for Netflix’s Inventing Anna, which starred Julia Garner as Delvey and had Shonda Rhimes as showrunner.

When asked what prompted her to join ABC‘s reality dancing competition, Delvey admitted she was persuaded to join, and then was granted permission from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE). Delvey was released from prison in 2021 after serving four years, but has since been on house arrest while fighting her deportation case.

“I kind of got talked into doing this. I got the permission from ICE and then it was kind of too late to back out,” she told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday after the cast was revealed on Good Morning America.

Delvey will wear an ankle monitor while competing. Her spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, confirmed to The Associated Press that Delvey could “travel within 70 miles of her home base and anywhere in the five boroughs of New York City under previous house arrest conditions.”

When asked how the monitor could impact her performances, Delvey implied that there would be no effect.

“In what way would it affect my performance? It’s actually pretty light,” she said, before offering THR’s Neha Joy to touch the bracelet.

When looking ahead, Delvey said that by competing on the show she just wants “to have some fun and maybe get in a little workout.”

Delvey will be partnered with newcomer pro Ezra Sosa. Sosa credited Delvey for having “dance ability” and told THR he’s “excited for America to actually see” Delvey and “how she is.”

“The media has seen a representation of her that I personally think is not her,” he said before adding that he is looking forward for everyone to meet “the real Anna Delvey.”

In addition to Delvey, other announced castmembers include Dwight Howard, Tori Spelling, Eric Roberts, Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola, actor Chandler Kinney, Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, model Brooks Nader, Bravo star Phaedra Parks, actor Reginald VelJohnson and Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik.

The latest Bachelor and Bachelorette stars Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran will also compete. Tran’s finale aired the night ahead of the announcement. After becoming the first-ever female lead to propose in the pretaped finale, she updated viewers in the live After the Final Rose finale that her final pick, Devin Strader, blindsided her and broke off their engagement shortly after filming ended.

DWTS returns Tuesday, Sept. 17, on ABC and Disney+ and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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