Anna Delvey, the infamous fraudster, has accused Dancing with the Stars of “exploiting me for attention,” following her brief stint on the dance competition series. Delvey, 33, who competed on the ABC series before being eliminated in week two, criticised the show for using her to boost ratings without giving her a fair chance to grow.
In an email to NBC News, Delvey expressed her disappointment, stating, “I feel that the show so obviously used me to drive up the ratings, that they never had any plans to give me any chance to grow and only cared about exploiting me for attention.” She also described the experience as “predatory” and highlighted how she felt disregarded despite showing improvement throughout her time on the show.
The backlash against Dancing with the Stars began when it was announced that Delvey would be participating in its new season. Her dance partner, Ezra Sousa, shared how he found Delvey in tears in the bathroom after she received hateful comments online following the season premiere. He mentioned in a TikTok video how heartbreaking it was to see her in such distress and how he aimed to provide her with a positive experience.
After her early elimination from the competition, Delvey’s response to co-host Julianne Hough when asked about her takeaway from the show was simply “Nothing,” which was deemed “dismissive” by judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Delvey later clarified her response during an appearance on Tori Spelling’s podcast, explaining that she felt the judges’ advice was not helpful and did not benefit her despite her efforts to follow it.
Anna Delvey gained notoriety for her criminal activities involving financial fraud, which led to her conviction in 2019. Her story was adapted into a Netflix mini-series titled Inventing Anna, starring Julia Garner, which delved into her case and trial, further cementing her place in public consciousness.
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