Notorious con artist removed from “Dancing with the Stars”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anna Sorokin, the convicted con artist who defrauded banks, hotels and friends under the guise of an “heiress” named Anna Delvey, has reached the end of her run on “Dancing With the Stars.”

A controversial casting decision for the reality competition series, Sorokin was required to wear an ankle bracelet on stage. In the announcement of her casting, she was described as a “notorious ankle bracelet fashionista” and is under house arrest due to impending deportation proceedings.

Although she was released from prison in February 2021, she was detained by immigration authorities shortly after her release, claiming she was overstaying and needed to be returned to her native Germany. The “Inventing Anna” inspiration was in ICE custody for over a year before a judge allowed her to transition to house arrest in October 2022 while she fights the deportation case.

After her performance of KT Tunstall's “Suddenly I See” with dance pro Ezra Sosa on Tuesday, Sorokin was eliminated from the series. Eliminations began in the second week of the series and are based on viewer votes.

When asked by the presenters on Tuesday evening what she would take away from the competition, Delvey answered categorically: “Nothing.”

On “Good Morning America” ​​on Wednesday, she reiterated her commitment and said the best part of the experience was “the elimination.”

Sorokin and Sosa spoke to The Associated Press last week after their first performance. As for dancing with her ankle bracelet, which was encrusted with rhinestones to match her costume, Sorokin said, “It's actually not a big problem at all. It's pretty light and I asked her to make it tight so it doesn't dangle. So it's not too bad.”

Changes to the conditions of Sorokin's house arrest to allow filming of the series in Los Angeles are unknown, and it remains unclear how her lengthy deportation proceedings will proceed.

Also eliminated from Tuesday's episode was Tori Spelling, an actress best known for “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Following her exit with partner Pasha Pashkov, Spelling described her time on the show as a “crazy, transformative journey,” noting that she's glad she faced her fears despite her firing.

“I just kept looking at my kids sitting in the audience and just thinking, 'I love you. I love you.' And I wanted them to know that no matter what happened, 'I love you and thank you for being proud of me,'” Spelling said. “It happens fast and you get lost in your thoughts because it's scary. It's really scary.”