Whoopi Goldberg didn’t hold back when she called out her own network, ABC, for casting convicted felon Anna Delvey on this season’s Dancing With the Stars (DWTS).
The con artist, who became notorious for her high-profile scams and was later immortalized in Netflix’s hit series Inventing Anna, will be dancing on the show with partner Ezra Sosa. She will be sporting an ankle monitor as she takes a shot at the Mirrorball Trophy.
Highlights
- Whoopi Goldberg criticized ABC for casting convicted felon Anna Delvey on 'Dancing With The Stars.'
- The convicted fraudster, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, will compete with Ezra Sosa while wearing an ankle monitor.
- The fake German heiress scammed hotels, socialites, and banks out of $250,000 and spent several months in prison.
- She was placed on house arrest in New York City and is still fighting her deportation case.
The woman, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, posed as a German heiress and managed to scam hotels, socialites, and banks out of $250,000.
Whoopi Goldberg criticized ABC for casting convicted felon Anna Delvey on Dancing With the Stars
Image credits: The View / Instagram
Image credits: Dancing With The Stars / Instagram
She was arrested in 2017 and spent 17 months in prison after being convicted in 2019 of grand larceny in the first, second, and third degree, as well as theft of services. She was initially sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, but she was released early for good behavior.
The fake heiress was then detained by ICE for overstaying her visa in the US. After being released on bail, she was placed on house arrest in New York City while still fighting her deportation case.
Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, will be competing for the Mirrorball Trophy alongside her partner, Ezra Sosa
Image credits: Ezra Sosa / Instagram
Immigration rules and the threat of deportation have not stopped the Russian-born fraudster from trying to dance her way to glory.
ABC’s press release for DWTS described her as “an artist, fashion icon and infamous NYC socialite who gained international attention after Netflix purchased the rights to her story and developed it into the 2022 miniseries Inventing Anna.”
Whoopi, co-host of The View, was visibly frustrated over Anna's appearance on the show. She questioned the network’s ethics to give such a platform to someone currently living under house arrest.
The fraudster posed as a German heiress and scammed hotels, socialites, and banks out of $250,000
Image credits: Anna Delvey / Instagram
Image credits: The View / Instagram
"I think back to all the families who’ve had family members arrested by ICE, who have gone to the courts to get their dad or their mother or their brother back," the Sister Act actress said. "And this woman, they gave her permission to go do this. Now, should I think there’s a reason. Is there a two-tiered system here with ICE?"
After co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “Con artists tend to remain con artists,” Whoopi noted, “She still owes people money. I don’t understand why she gets to stay!”
Whoopi expressed frustration over how the con artist is allowed to compete while many immigrant families struggle with deportation, hinting at a double standard in the system
When Joy Behar suggested it was because she looked “pretty,” the EGOT winner said, “Well that’s a little bit of a piss-off, I have got to tell you. You know, I like pretty people too, but I gotta say, I’m listening to people b---- about what’s going on at the border and I’m listening to people b----ing about who shouldn’t be here — well what the hell, man? How does this work?"
"This is a [f--- you] in the face of a lot of people who have been trying to make their way back to this country and families torn apart," she added.