Anna Delvey's DWTS partner says she cried after the season premiere

Dance professional Ezra Sosa defends his controversial Dancing with the stars Partner Anna Delvey shared on social media that the convicted felon's first week in the competition series had been an emotional one.

Sosa recalled the excitement of the first week, saying he felt “so much positivity” and “love from literally every single person, including my partner,” even though Delvey “didn't get the same.” The hardest part of the day, Sosa recalled, was not being able to find Delvey, who had read some negative comments about herself after spending time with the press.

“We couldn't find her,” Sosa said. “We finally found her in the bathroom. She was crying. I had never seen her like that before and it broke my heart.” As Delvey's partner, Sosa said, “I wanted to give her the best experience and to know that wasn't the case” was heartbreaking.

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“I know what she did was really controversial and not right, and I can never justify that to her or anyone in her life,” he added. But it's “tough” because “this person that I really fall in love with every day in rehearsal is not the person that everyone sees in the media.” Sosa implored the audience to show Delvey “some mercy,” adding, “Nobody deserves the hate that she's getting right now. She deserves a second chance. She rose to the challenge.”

Delvey, who was known for posing as a German heiress and swindling thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and many private individuals, was convicted for her crimes in 2019. The subject of the Shonda Rhimes drama Anna invent, Among other things, Delvey was released early from prison in 2021 for good behavior and placed under house arrest. She is known to wear an ankle bracelet on her leg for the show.

Delvey's casting for the current 33rd season, which premiered last week, drew heavy criticism from viewers and even dance pros alike. DWTS alumnus Maks Chmerkovskiy recently criticized the inclusion of Delvey, whom he called a “professional liar,” on the TMZ podcast. “There are so many other people to choose from,” he said.

In the past, the show has featured controversial figures: Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary under Donald Trump's administration; Olivia Jade Giannulli, daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, who were convicted for their role in the college admissions scandal; and Paula Deen, the controversial Food Network star who admitted to using racist slurs and shared a photo of her son in brownface.