Ezra Sosa, a new professional dancer on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” is publicly supporting his partner, Anna Delvey, amidst significant backlash related to her past. Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorkin, gained notoriety for posing as a wealthy German heiress and defrauding banks, hotels, and affluent individuals. Sosa took to TikTok to share his thoughts on the situation, expressing both his excitement and concern for Delvey.
“I just want to come on here and just talk about my first official show as a professional dancer on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” Sosa said in a TikTok video. “What is life? I cannot believe this is happening to me right now.” He described the experience as the “best day ever,” filled with love and support from those around him. However, he quickly noted that his partner was not receiving the same level of encouragement.
Sosa became emotional as he recounted a difficult moment during the day. “On my end, I was feeling so much positivity,” he explained, tears welling in his eyes. “On my partner’s end, she wasn’t receiving the same. I think the hardest part of my day after the press line was seeing her read the comments and then we couldn’t find her. They finally found her in the bathroom. She was crying. I’ve never seen her like that, and it broke my heart.”
@ezrasosa week 1 hit harder than expected, but we’re only getting started ❤️ @Anna Delvey #dwts
The dancer expressed his desire to create a positive experience for Delvey. “As her partner, I wanted to give her the best experience she possibly could,” he said. “Knowing that that’s not the case really did break my heart.”
Despite his support for Delvey, Sosa acknowledged the complexities of her past. Delvey was arrested in 2017 and convicted of multiple counts of grand larceny and theft of services in 2019. She was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison but was released early in February 2021 for good behavior. Following her release, she was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for violating visa terms and has been under house arrest in New York City while contesting her deportation.
“I know what she did was really controversial and was not right,” Sosa admitted in his video. “I can never justify that for her, and for anyone in her life, it’s really hard for me because this person that I’m truly just falling in love with every single day in rehearsal isn’t the person that everyone sees in the media.”
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He continued, “No one deserves the amount of hate that she’s getting right now. She deserves a second chance. She has stepped up to the plate, and I just cannot wait for y’all to see how much she has improved, so tune in this next Tuesday. ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ and I’ll see you there.”
Delvey made headlines recently when it was announced on “Good Morning America” on September 4 that she would compete for the mirrorball trophy alongside 12 other celebrity contestants. After the news broke, Delvey told PEOPLE that she received special permission from ICE to participate, under the condition that she would continue to wear an ankle bracelet during the competition.
Earlier this month, “Dancing with the Stars” showrunner Conrad Green defended the decision to include Delvey on the show. “We’ve always tried to be a very broad church when it comes to the types of people, the types of backgrounds, the types of stories we have on the show,” Green said in an interview with Variety. “Anna is fascinating to a lot of people; a lot of people have watched the dramas about her life and have followed her story, so I think there is an inherent curiosity about her.”
Green emphasized that Delvey’s familiarity with the “world of fashion” might intrigue viewers and enhance the entertainment value of the season. He believes that fans will be eager to see her dance performances.
“Dancing with the Stars” Season 33 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes will also be available for streaming on Hulu the day after they air. As the show progresses, it remains to be seen how Delvey’s past and Sosa’s support will affect public perception and viewership.
