Anna Sorokin, the con artist convicted of swindling banks, hotels and friends in 2019 after falsely building a reputation as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey, will compete on US TV show Dancing With the Stars.
Described as the "notorious ankle bracelet fashionista" in a press release, Sorokin was announced along with the likes of former NBA star Dwight Howard, actor Tori Spelling and Jenn Tran.
Complicating Sorokin’s latest starring role is the ankle bracelet – or electronic tag – she has worn since October 2022, when she started her house arrest — though the show appears to be leaning into it with a promo image of Sorokin in a glittering dress and an ankle monitor on her leg.
While she was released from prison in February 2021, immigration authorities claim she overstayed her visa and must be returned to her native Germany.
The Inventing Anna inspiration was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for more than a year before a judge cleared the way for her to switch to home confinement in October 2022 while she fights the deportation case.
ICE has not made any comment regarding changes to Sorokin's house arrest conditions to accommodate filming in Los Angeles. Sorokin’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, confirmed that she could travel within 70 miles (112km) of her home base and anywhere in the five boroughs of New York City under previous house arrest conditions, but could not comment on any changes to those rules.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter Sorokin said: "I kind of got talked into doing this. I got the permission from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and then it was kind of too late to back out."
When asked what winning the show would mean to her, she replied, "Nothing, really. I don't know, to have some fun and maybe get in a little workout."
Source: Press Association
