Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars kicked off on September 17 and was packed with an electric mix of stars ranging from Olympic medalists, Oscar nominated actors, reality TV Royalty, and among them, a convicted con artist turned fashionista and entrepreneur, Anna Delvey whose presence on the show raised eyebrows.
Delvey was an alias Anna adopted, but her real name is Anna Sorokin. Fans were unsure of what Sorokin’s presence would bring to the family friendly show and to the dance floor. However, after her first dance with her partner Ezra Sosa, the judges had nothing but encouraging words to say.
“I just want to say something. When you came out on the dance floor there was a shift in energy in the room. I would just like to say let’s all give this a chance, because I can imagine this is scary for you,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba said. “I’m not pro or against anything that you have done, but this is about your dancing here. Let’s all give her that space please.”
After hearing Inaba’s supportive comments, it felt like the show was genuinely offering Sorokin a chance for redemption, and I was ready to offer the same. That feeling, however, changed when she reached the skybox for her scores and subsequent interview with host Julianne Hough.
Sorokin and Sosa received their scores, an 18 out of 30, a moderately good score for their first time dancing.
“I feel happy that I don’t have to do this dance again,” Sorokin said after being asked about how she felt about her night one scores. Her tone and expression were telling—there was no sign of disappointment or relief in her body language, just a mere smirk. There was no attempt to show interest, or even hide her disinterest. It was clear that Sorkin did not care about her performance or the show in general.
By her second week on the show, Sorokin continued to receive encouragement from the judges, her dance partner, friends, and fellow contestants. Her pre-dance package suggested a desire to reveal a new side of herself to the public. However, despite her words, Sorokin’s reserved, nonchalant demeanor persisted, overshadowing any attempt to shift public perception. She was eliminated at the end of night two due to a lack of viewer votes combined with a low judges score.
When Julianne Hough asked Sorokin what she will take away from the competition she responded, “Nothing.”
Sorokin since then has reached out to interviews with Vanity Fair and Today expressing feelings of being mocked and exploited.
“The show so obviously used me to drive up the ratings, that they never had any plans to give me any chance to grow and only cared about exploiting me for attention,” Sorokin said in her interview with Vanity Fair. “”The show so obviously used me to drive up the ratings, that they never had any plans to give me any chance to grow and only cared about exploiting me for attention.”
After reading the Vanity Fair article, I was taken aback. As a longtime fan of Dancing with the Stars, I’ve seen countless seasons where celebrities were given genuine opportunities for redemption. One example that specifically comes to mind is influencer Olivia Jade who is the daughter of Full House actress Lori Loughlin. Loughlin was caught paying large sums of money to the University of Southern California under false pretenses to get Olivia and her sister into the school in 2019. Just two years later in 2021 Olivia Jade joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars where she worked hard to prove that she was more than the controversy that surrounded her and her family. She was dedicated to her partner and her performances showing vulnerability and hard work ethic. This allowed the judges and viewers to extend sympathy and support to her despite the controversy. Unlike Sorokin, Olivia was able to rehabilitate her public persona after competing on the show.
Watching the first two episodes, it seemed to me that Sorokin was afforded the same chance. I was genuinely surprised to learn that she felt otherwise, especially after seeing how the judges, hosts, and professional dancers treated her with encouragement and kindness.
“You must believe in yourself, just drop the persona,” judge Bruno Tonioli said. “Be you because we love you for what you are, my love.”
Sorokin received many comments like this on the show, so why did she feel mocked and exploited? Her infamy as a convicted con artist could have overshadowed an opportunity for real and genuine growth. Regardless of the shows goals of trying to help America view her in a new light, Sorokin will always be the most well known for being a con artist. My best guess is that the audience viewed her as more of a spectacle rather than as a sincere attempt to rehabilitate her image. This raises the question: why do we continue to allow figures like Anna Sorokin to rise to fame?
Despite Anna Sorokin’s controversial past and elimination from Dancing with the Stars, she continues to seek spotlight by offering interviews and making claims of being exploited. It seems that Sorokin is trying to control the narrative regardless of what viewers saw and heard on the show rather than deciding to quietly and gracefully bow out. She carried herself on the show in a way that showed everyone around her that she did not care much to be there at all, and was observed by viewers, judges, pro dancers, and other stars on the show.
This spectacle contrasts with someone like Chappell Roan, an indie pop artist who has been actively resisting the spotlight. She has expressed discomfort with the fame that has come alongside her rising success. This raises the question: do celebrities have a right to privacy, even after being thrust into the public eye? While the public often denies them this right, it’s worth considering what these celebrities expect when they achieve fame and success. Being famous means being known by many people. While I believe that celebrities have a right to their own privacy, it’s important to recognize that part of their success depends on being in the public’s eye—fame and recognition go hand in hand with a celebrity’s career.
What becomes striking when comparing Anna Sorokin and Chappell Roan is how differently they approach fame. For Roan fame is not the end goal, but a mere side effect of her growing success. This is something that she navigates with caution and does not crave. Sorkin seems to embrace notoriety, not because of talent, but as an end itself. It seems that her presence on the show was a reach to stay relevant. She thrives on infamy and being remembered rather than growth. Roan is receiving unwanted fame through her creativity in her music, while Sorkin seems content with infamy as long as she remains in the public eye.
Anna Sorokin’s journey of being a convicted con artist to becoming a contestant on Dancing with the Stars highlights a complicated relationship between fame and redemption. As she continues to seek the spotlight, I can’t help but wonder whether her actions are a form of damage control or if she truly believes she’s being exploited as she continues to keep her name in the spotlight.
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