Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars quickly became the center of controversy with the addition of Anna Delvey, the infamous convicted con artist, to its cast.
Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, gained notoriety for scamming New York’s high society, and her participation in the beloved dance competition stirred widespread criticism.
The backlash only intensified after her recent performance on the show.
On Tuesday, September 24, Delvey, 33, took to the stage alongside her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa.
They performed a Quickstep to KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See, a track made famous by its appearance in The Devil Wears Prada. The performance was part of the show’s much-anticipated Oscars Night theme.
However, despite the excitement surrounding the event, Delvey and Sosa’s routine failed to impress both the judges and the viewers.
By the end of the two-hour episode, Delvey and Sosa were eliminated in a double-elimination round. Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough announced that the pair, along with actress Tori Spelling and her partner Pasha Pashkov, had received the lowest combined scores from the judges and viewer votes, leading to their departure from the competition.
While Delvey made an effort on the dance floor, many viewers felt that her performance lacked the spark and enthusiasm typically associated with Dancing with the Stars.
Her presence on the show had already drawn criticism, and her seemingly unenthusiastic demeanor during the performance only fueled more negative reactions online.
One viewer expressed frustration, saying: “It seems like she doesn’t want to be there. All the other contestants seem to have a lot more enthusiasm than her, even if they’re not the smoothest dancers. At least convince us that you’re here for a reason!”
Another added: “That was painful to watch. You can see that Ezra is trying so hard, but she just looks like she [doesn’t] wanna be there. Hope she is eliminated tonight!!”
After the elimination, many fans of the show expressed relief. One person wrote: “So glad Anna was sent home. What an awful attitude!!!”
Another echoed this sentiment, saying: “No, very emotionless.”
However, not all feedback was negative. A few fans defended Delvey’s more subdued demeanor, with one supporter commenting: “I enjoyed it. Not everyone has to pretend to be America’s sweetheart and make it seem like life is perfect and be all smiles. I enjoy her.”
Despite the backlash, Delvey herself admitted to being “very sad” about her departure from the show, according to an interview with Good Morning America. Her professional partner, Ezra Sosa, remained positive about their time together, praising her efforts and growth on the dance floor. Sosa described her performance as a form of redemption for Delvey, providing her with the opportunity to step into a new spotlight.
Sosa also gave insight into the struggles Delvey faced behind the scenes. In a heartfelt video shared on September 23, he opened up about the emotional toll the experience took on her, particularly the negative reactions she received after their performance.
“I just want to come on here and just talk about my first official show as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars,” Sosa said, adding that he felt “so much love from literally every single person, including my partner.”
However, Delvey was not experiencing the same positivity. Sosa posted a video to TikTok recounting a difficult moment after their premiere, when Delvey was overwhelmed by the negative comments online.
“On my partner’s end, she wasn’t receiving the same. I think the hardest part of my day after [the] press line, she was reading the comments, and we couldn’t find her. They finally found her in the bathroom. She was crying. I’ve never seen her like that,” Sosa shared, clearly emotional.
Despite his affection for Delvey, Sosa acknowledged that he could not defend her controversial past. “I know what she did was really controversial and was not right,” he admitted.
“I can never justify that for her and for anyone in her life. It’s really hard for me, because this person that I’m truly just falling in love with every single day in rehearsal isn’t the person that everyone sees in the media.”
What do you think about Anna Delvey’s Dancing with the Stars performance? Let us know your thoughts?
