As the 33rd season of the reality tv show, “Dancing with the Stars,” begins on Sept. 17, the new cast has made their first impression on viewers. Specifically making headlines is Anna Sorokin, commonly known as Anna Delvey, a criminally charged felon, who made her debut as a “fashionista and entrepreneur.” Many viewers support Delvey in her dancing endeavors, despite the fact that she was found guilty of multiple offenses, including stealing more than $200,000 in 2019.
Delvey sported a bejeweled ankle monitor on the dance floor, due to her battle fighting against deportation to Germany. Throughout this time, she attended New York Fashion Week, appeared in Vogue Magazine and started her own podcast titled “The Delvey Show,” according to BBC News.
Considering the breadth of crimes Delvey has committed, including conning banks, lawyers and a jet company, it’s hard to believe that she is given more of a right to live luxuriously and work in the United States than other immigrants who have been fighting to stay in the country to provide for themselves and their families.
According to BBC news, many people defend Delvey by saying she represents an American Dream of sorts. After being at a low, she was given the opportunity to have a second at making a life for herself.
In reality, she is a prime example that the immigration system favors well-connected people like Delvey, over those who have also been fighting deportation cases, but ironically, are not committed felons.
Contestants on “Dancing with the Stars,” are estimated to receive a starting salary of $125,000, according to Variety. So, even if she does have to go back to Germany after getting booted from the show on Sept. 24, she’ll be heading back with a boatload of cash.
This is not the first time that convicted felons have gotten a “second chance,” with the public. Both Gypsy Rose Blanchard, known for the public and controversial nature of her case, and former President Donald Trump, who is running for the presidency again this year, are convicted felons and yet have received positive feedback from the public.
With the help of her then-boyfriend, Nicholas Godejoh, Blanchard had her mother murdered after enduring years of abuse. She was charged with second degree murder and served seven years in prison, but her story has taken on a life of its own with the public. Many people have become fans of hers and showered her with support. While her actions might be categorized as self-defense, she should still not be put on a pedestal.
Trump joined Blanchard as a convicted felon on May 30 when he was found guilty on all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex, according to AP News. Besides committing multiple crimes worthy of prison-time, he is still likely to serve significantly less time or no time at all, compared to what the average person would have been given.
Granting those who have been found guilty of felonies an abundance of wealth and fame is a twisted version of what people are trying to make a Cinderella story. There is no glass slipper that can save them from their past, and while second chances can be earned, they should not simply be given out to anyone who may have connections or an interesting story. It seems as though Delvey and other felons got to end up with a happy ending of their own, but this shouldn’t be the case as thousands of others have been waiting for theirs.
Photo credit: “DANCING WITH THE STARS” by Walt Disney Television is licensed under (CC BY-ND 2.0)
