Con artist’s sparkly ankle monitor steals show on US TV dance series

Anna Sorokin, the infamous con artist who once shocked the world with her elaborate deceptions, is now turning heads again on the US reality TV series Dancing with the Stars – but it’s her glittering ankle monitor that’s stealing the spotlight.

The so-called ‘fake heiress,’ who was convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, debuted the accessory during the premiere of TV competition’s new season.

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

“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa joked of Sorokin’s bedazzled ankle monitor.

Who is Anna Sorokin?

Also known as Anna Delvey, Anna Sorokin is a 33-year-old Russian-born former con artist who gained famed for her high-profile series of scams in which she posed as a wealthy German heiress to access upper-class New York social and art scenes from 2013 to 2017.

She defrauded banks, hotels, and friends out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by pretending to be a wealthy socialite. Her story was widely covered in the media and inspired the immensely popular Netflix series Inventing Anna.

In 2019, Sorokin was convicted of multiple counts of theft and grand larceny. After serving time in prison, she was released in February 2021 but was soon picked up by immigration authorities for overstaying her visa.

She was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights deportation. Her release terms had to be amended to allow her to travel from New York to Los Angeles for filming.

Sorokin acknowledged her debut on the TV show didn’t quite go as planned.

“I feel relieved that it’s over,” she said. “I feel like my dance could have been a little bit better, but I’m happy I’ve done this and it was a great experience all over.”

Sorokin said she hopes viewers will be somewhat forgiving despite her criminal history. “Hopefully people will give me, will give me a chance to show what I can do. And I served my time and I repaid my restitution,” she said.