“False heiress” Anna Sorokin debuts on “Dancing with the Stars” – with a glittering ankle bracelet

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Convicted fraudster Anna Sorokin conquers the dance floor on “Dancing With the Stars” with a feather-light – and very sparkling – ankle bracelet.

The so-called “false heiress”, who was convicted of Cheating banks, hotels and friends in 2019, after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, showed off the ballroom-ready ankle bracelet on Tuesday night at the premiere of the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

“It's actually not a big problem at all. It's pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn't dangle. So it's not that bad,” she told the Associated Press after the premiere. She and dance pro Ezra Sosa performed a routine to Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso.”

“Let's face it: It's the real star of the show,” Sosa said of Sorokin's rhinestone-studded ankle bracelet.

“I find it kind of funny how people like it – it's not an ankle weight,” Sosa said. “It's not 20 pounds. It's literally less than a pound and it's no big deal.”

Sorokin admitted that her debut did not go as planned.

“I'm relieved it's over,” she said. “I think my dancing could have been a little better, but I'm glad I did it and it was a great experience overall.”

Sorokin said she hoped viewers would show some leniency despite her criminal past.

“Hopefully people will give me a chance to show what I can do. I've served my time and made my amends,” she said.

Initial reviews from fans were not positive, with the phrase “Anna Delvey's lackluster DWTS debut” trending on social media site X.

Although she was released from prison in February 2021, Immigration authorities She was picked up again shortly after her release and claimed that she had overstayed her welcome and had to be returned to her home country of Germany. Inspiration for “The Invention of Anna” was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared her for house arrest in October 2022 while she fights her deportation.

Her release conditions had to be changed to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.