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Anna Delvey cried in the bathroom after the backlash to the premiere of “DWTS”, partner Ezra Sosa says: “It broke my heart”

Ezra Sosa, Anna Delvey's partner on “Dancing With the Stars,” revealed that the “fake heiress” had a hard time dealing with the negative reactions to her being cast on the show.

In a TikTok video shared on Monday, the professional dancer thanked his fans for the outpouring of “love” they showed him following his Week 1 debut – but then revealed that Delvey did not receive the same support.

“I personally felt so many positive emotions, but my partner did not,” Sosa said.

Ezra Sosa asked “Dancing With the Stars” fans to give Anna Delvey a “second chance” amid the strong backlash over her casting. Disney

“I think the hardest part of my day [was]after our press release, she read the comments and then we couldn't find her,” he continued, wiping tears from his eyes. “They finally found her in the bathroom and she was crying.”

Sosa said he had never seen Delvey “show so much emotion” and it “broke [his] Heart.”

“As her partner, I just want to give her the best possible experience [have],” he continued. “And knowing that wasn’t the case really broke my heart.

It is Sosa's first year as a professional in the competition show. ezra sosa / Instagram
Although he thanked fans for their support, he asked them to send the same love to Delvey. Disney

Delvey – born Anna Sorokin – was in prison for posing as a fake German heiress and defrauding wealthy individuals, banks and companies of more than $250,000.

Although Sosa admitted that Delvey's behavior was “controversial” and “not right,” he asked fans to give her a “second chance.”

“I can't justify this to her or anyone in her life,” he said. “But it's really hard because this person that I really fall in love with every day in rehearsals is not the person that everyone sees in the media.”

Sosa said Delvey, a convicted fraudster, attracted so much “hate” because of her casting. AFP via Getty Images
He found her crying in the bathroom after her performance last week. Disney

“Nobody deserves the hate she is facing right now,” he added.

Sosa ended the video by praising the convicted cheater for “taking the initiative” and told fans he “can't wait” to see how much she “improved” in Week 2.

Delvey sparked a heated backlash last month after she was announced as one of the contestants on the hit dance competition series' 33rd season, with many fans questioning why ABC would give a platform to a criminal.

Delvey – who wore a rhinestone-embellished ankle bracelet – danced a cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso” during the premiere last week. The dance earned her an overall score of 18/30 from the judges.

Sosa said it was “broken [his] Heart”, to see his partner in tears. Janet Mayer/Shutterstock
He insisted that behind closed doors she was a different person. Instagram/@ezra.sosa

At the end of Delvey's performance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba addressed the criticism of her casting.

She told viewers that while they didn't agree with her being on the show, they should at least “give her a chance” because she works just as hard in rehearsals each week as her fellow contestants.

Although longtime “DWTS” pro Cheryl Burke “agreed” with Inaba’s comments, she admitted in an exclusive interview with Page Six that some people “may have thought it was a little inappropriate.”

Delvey was imprisoned in the 2010s for defrauding companies and individuals. GC Images
Sosa admitted that her “controversial” decisions in the past were “not right.” ezra sosa / Instagram

Burke also criticized the show's decision to have Delvey perform last of all the couples, which she said drained the energy from the room.

“To end like this after such a high point… because the show just got better and better [until then]“ she argued.

Burke also noted that Delvey will need to break down some walls and show her “vulnerability” if she wants to go far in the competition.

“Dancing With the Stars” returns Tuesday for Oscars Night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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