"I Lost Words"... '80 Billion Fake Heiress' Wearing Electronic Ankle Bracelet Appears on TV Show

On Stage Wearing an Electronic Ankle Bracelet Decorated with Bizro
Sorokin's Fraud Scheme Also Made into a Netflix Drama

Russian-German Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin), who deceived New York's social scene by pretending to be a wealthy heiress from Europe, has become a hot topic after appearing on a popular American TV show wearing a sparkling electronic ankle monitor. On the 18th (local time), foreign media such as the New York Post and AP reported that Sorokin appeared as the last contestant on the first episode of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Season 33, which was released the day before.

"I Lost Words"... '80 Billion Fake Heiress' Wearing Electronic Ankle Bracelet Appears on TV Show

Anna Sorokin (33), a Russian-German who deceived New York's social scene by pretending to be a wealthy heiress from Europe, has become a hot topic after appearing on a popular American TV show wearing a sparkling electronic ankle bracelet.
[Photo by Anna Delvey Instagram]

On that day, Sorokin danced the cha-cha with her partner Ezra Sosa, wearing an electronic ankle monitor decorated with sparkling beads and covered in blue and purple covers matching her outfit. Sorokin received 6 points each from the three judges, totaling 18 points (out of a perfect score of 30). Derek Hough, a Hollywood actor and choreographer serving as a judge, said, "I'm speechless," and added, "You actually have the talent to become a really beautiful dancer." Choreographer Bruno Tonioli compared Sorokin to the Netflix drama "Inventing Anna," inspired by her, saying, "She is reinventing Anna again. It looks promising."

After finishing her performance, Sorokin said, "I have served my sentence and paid restitution," and expressed hope that "people will give me a chance to show what I can do." She also said, "(The electronic ankle monitor) is actually not a big problem when dancing," adding, "It's quite light, and I asked the supervisor to tighten it so it wouldn't dangle from my ankle."

Born in Russia as the daughter of a truck driver, Sorokin moved to Germany with her family at the age of 16. In 2014, she came to New York, USA, and pretended to be Anna Delvey, an heiress with assets worth $60 million (about 80 billion KRW), committing fraud. With only an internship experience at a fashion magazine, she rose to stardom in New York's high society through her excellent fashion sense and eloquence. She enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, hosting parties at high-end hotels and adorning herself with luxury brands. Lacking money, she often passed costs onto acquaintances she met in social circles and even rented private jets by lying about having meetings with Warren Buffett.

Anna Sorokin received $320,000 from Netflix and also sold the rights to her story. The drama "Inventing Anna," which deals with her fraudulent activities, was released on Netflix in 2022.
[Photo by Netflix]

The amount she defrauded in this way exceeded $250,000 (about 334 million KRW). However, her fraud was uncovered after reports from hotels where she repeatedly dined and dashed, and the court sentenced her to prison in 2019 on charges including fraud. After serving four years in prison and being recognized as a model prisoner, she was released in February 2021. Currently, she is under house arrest with conditions including wearing an electronic ankle monitor. Recently, the conditions of her house arrest were relaxed, allowing her to go out up to 70 miles (112 km) from home, prompting her comeback.

With the ban on TV show appearances and social media lifted, she uploads posts daily. She has released photo shoots showing her wearing the electronic ankle monitor and announced various external activities such as fashion shows. She also sold the rights to her story to Netflix for $320,000. The drama "Inventing Anna," which deals with her fraud, was released on Netflix in 2022.