Anna Delvey cried in the bathroom after the backlash to the premiere of “DWTS”, partner Ezra Sosa says: “It broke my heart”

“I think the hardest part of my day was that after our press conference, she was reading the comments and then we couldn't find her,” he continued, wiping tears from his eyes. “They finally found her in the bathroom and she was crying.”

Sosa said he had “never seen Delvey show so much emotion” and it “broke his heart.”

“As her partner, I just want to give her the best experience possible,” he continued. “And knowing that's not the case really broke my heart.”

Delvey – born Anna Sorokin – was in prison for posing as a fake German heiress and defrauding wealthy individuals, banks and companies of more than $250,000.

Although Sosa admitted that Delvey's behavior was “controversial” and “not right,” he asked fans to give her a “second chance.”

“I can't justify this to her or anyone in her life,” he said. “But it's really hard because this person that I really fall in love with every day in rehearsals is not the person that everyone sees in the media.”

“Nobody deserves the hate she is facing right now,” he added.

Sosa ended the video by praising the convicted cheater for “taking the initiative” and told fans he “can't wait” to see how much she “improved” in Week 2.

Delvey sparked a heated reaction last month after she was announced as one of the contestants on the hit dance competition series' 33rd season, with many fans questioning why ABC would give a platform to a criminal.

Delvey – who wore a rhinestone-embellished ankle bracelet – danced a cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso” at the premiere last week. The dance earned her an overall score of 18/30 from the judges.

At the end of Delvey's performance, judge Carrie Ann Inaba addressed the criticism of her casting.

She told viewers that while they didn't agree with her being on the show, they should at least “give her a chance” because she works just as hard in rehearsals every week as her fellow contestants.

Although longtime “DWTS” pro Cheryl Burke “agreed” with Inaba’s comments, she admitted in an exclusive interview with Page Six that some people “may have thought it was a little inappropriate.”

Burke also criticized the show's decision to have Delvey perform last of all the couples, which she said drained the energy from the room.

“To end like that after such a high point… because the show just got better and better (up until that point),” she argued.

Burke also noted that Delvey will need to break down some walls and show her “vulnerability” if she wants to go far in the competition.

“Dancing With the Stars” returns Tuesday for Oscars Night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.