Convicted fraudster Anna Delvey is focusing on her upcoming documentary to “reclaim her narrative” following her elimination from Dancing with the Stars, she told Newsweek.
The con artist was booted from the reality television show on Tuesday after dancing to “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall alongside pro partner Ezra Sosa. Now Delvey—whose real name is Anna Sorokin—is turning her attention to her upcoming documentary and has “no plans to be on another reality show,” she said.
“I’ve been filming a feature-length documentary for a major platform that I can’t wait for everyone to see,” Delvey told Newsweek via email on Thursday. “I feel like my story has been told for me by other people, so I’m excited to reclaim my narrative and get the opportunity to tell my own story.”
Delvey first made headlines in October 2017 when she was arrested for pretending to be a German heiress to deceive banks, hotels and individuals out of more than $200,000. She was found guilty of eight theft-related charges in 2019 and spent nearly four years in prison, including time at New York City’s notorious Rikers Island.
She was fined $24,000 and was ordered to pay roughly $199,000 in restitution. Her story became the subject of the 2022 Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna.
Anna Delvey poses before a “Digital Features: Tackling Issues of Free Speech and Censorship” panel discussion at NeueHouse Madison Square on September 12, 2024 in New York City. Delvey told Newsweek she is focusing on her documentary after being eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
In an interview with Variety in August 2023, Delvey shared her reaction to the streamer’s show, created by Shonda Rhimes.
“That wasn’t a docuseries; it was fiction,” Delvey said. “Before each episode, it says, ‘It’s all true, except for whatever is made up.’ It’s not up to me to sit here and dissect Shonda Rhimes’ vision or interpretation. It is what it is.”
Julia Garner—who portrayed Delvey in the drama—visited her in prison, and the 33-year-old added that the actress was “a very sweet person.”
“She was just doing her job,” Delvey said. “I don’t really take it personally.”
Currently, Russian-born Delvey is on house arrest for overstaying her visa. On DWTS, she sported an ankle monitor relating to the deportation case.
In a separate email to Newsweek on Tuesday, Delvey shared details about the device, noting it “comes with a station that’s plugged in at my residence, and a slide-on charger.”
She added: “I usually charge it once a day for about 60-90min.”
Delvey and Sosa clicked quickly on DWTS, despite their short-lived time on the show, which premiered on September 17.
“He was a great partner as well as incredibly patient, supportive and kind,” Delvey told Newsweek. “I loved his charisma and was so excited for him since it was his first season on the show as a pro dancer.”
Delvey received backlash after her casting was announced, and earlier this week, Sosa defended her after she was found crying in a bathroom over hurtful online messages.
“I know what she did was really controversial and was not right, and I can never justify that for her and for anyone in her life,” Sosa, 23, said on TikTok. “It’s really hard for me because this person that I truly am just falling in love with every day in rehearsal, isn’t the person that everyone sees in the media. No one deserves the amount of hate that she’s getting right now. She deserves a second chance.”
