The professional dance partner of convicted con-woman, Anna Delvey, has showered her with praise ahead of their second performance on Dancing With The Stars.
Ezra Sosa is partnered up with Delvey, who earned the nickname “the Fake Heiress,” after her crime spree was immortalized in the Netflix series Inventing Anna.
The German citizen was jailed in 2019 for multiple counts of grand larceny and when she was released in 2021, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her on suspicion she had overstayed her visa. Delvey has since been released into home detention and must wear an ankle monitor with GPS tracking as she fights against deportation from the U.S.
Anna Delvey and Ezra Sosa compete on “Dancing with the Stars.” Sosa defended Delvey from the criticism she has faced.
Disney/Eric McCandles
The ankle monitor was on display during their premiere performance in the opening episode of DWTS’ 33rd season on Tuesday.
Delvey’s casting on the ABC reality dancing competition has sparked much fury from the public and former DWTS contestants. But Sosa stepped up to defend his partner on his Instagram stories, including saying she worked very hard in the face of adversity.
He shared a photo of them posing in front of a Good Morning America sign and he is planting a kiss on Delvey’s cheek.
“Going into our next show day I just want to give some extra love to my incredible partner this week. She’s been putting in so much work, especially with all the adversity she faces,” Sosa captioned the photo. “I know it’s not easy to show up in front of America every week, but she’s really stepping up to the plate and giving it her all in the rehearsals. I’ve never seen her work this hard before, and I’m so proud of the progress she’s already made. I can’t wait for you all to see this too next Tuesday!”
“Anna never forget I am by your side every step of the way. Proud of you always xx,” he concluded.
The pair’s first danced a cha-cha to Sabrina Carpenter’s song “Espresso,” where Delvey wore a bedazzled upgrade to her ankle monitor to match her sparkly outfit.
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Delvey said a judge permitted her to travel within 70 miles of her home and in all five boroughs of New York, the Associated Press reported, allowing her to compete on DWTS.
Sosa and Delvey spoke about her highly publicized ankle monitor after their debut dance.
“It’s actually not a big issue at all. It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad,” she told Associated Press.
Sosa said it was “the real star of the show,” and joked about how people were reacting to its presence.
“I think it’s kind of funny how people like—it’s not like an ankle weight,” Sosa said. “It’s not like 20 pounds. It’s like literally less than a pound and it’s not a big deal.”
