Whoopi Goldberg SlamsDancing with the Starsfor Casting Convicted Felon Anna Delvey: 'What the Hell, Man?'

Mar. 15, 2025

Whoopi Goldberg and Anna Delvey.Photo:ABC; Scott Gries/USA NETWORK via Getty

ABC; Scott Gries/USA NETWORK via Getty

Looks like not everybody is going to be rooting forAnna DelveyonDancing with the Starsthis season.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, the co-hosts ofThe Viewlet loose about the convicted con artist’s booking on the ABC reality dancing competition series.

That particularly didn’t sit well with moderatorWhoopi Goldberg, who didn’t bite her tongue while acknowledging thatDWTSandThe Viewboth air on ABC and therefore, “we gotta support the network.”

Anna Delvey’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ official cast photo.Disney/Andrew Eccles

Disney/Andrew Eccles

Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorkin, gained notoriety for posing as a wealthy German heiress and used her social standing to defraud wealthy people, banks and hotels. She was arrested in 2017 and convicted of grand larceny in the first, second and third degree as well as theft of services in 2019.

Summarizing Delvey’s legal issues,Sunny Hostinwondered “what’s the consequence” of her crimes? “A bejeweled ankle monitor — afederalbejeweled ankle monitor — and then a spot on a television show?”

“We have a felon running for president, why are we surprised?“Sara Hainessaid, referencing Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump, who in Maywas found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The reminder even hadJoy Beharsuggesting aDancing with the Felonsspinoff. “I think that would be such a hit,” she teased.

Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines and Alyssa Farah Griffin.ABC/JEFF LIPSKY

ABC/JEFF LIPSKY

But jokes aside, Delvey’s casting still left the co-hosts feeling frustrated.

“I’m here for a redemption arc, and not a rehabilitation arc: somebody who has owned and taken responsibility for what they did wrong,“Alyssa Farah Griffinpointed out. “I’m not convinced this person has.  Con artists tend to remain con artists.”

Goldberg, who often sits back on pop culture-related topics, then jumped in again. “She still owes people money. I don’t understand why she gets to stay!” Goldberg lamented — Behar suggesting it’s because Delvey is “pretty.”

“Well that’s a little bit of a piss-off, I have got to tell you,” Goldberg responded, connecting Delvey’s casting tothe larger debate around immigration. “You know, I like pretty people too, but I gotta say, I’m listening to people bitch about what’s going on at the border and I’m listening to people bitching about who shouldn’t be here — well what the hell, man? How does this work?”

“This is a [f— you] in the face of a lot of people who have been trying to make their way back to this country and families torn apart,” the EGOT winner said.

When Behar pointed out that convicted felons had been on the show in the past — includingTeresa Giudice,Lil' KimandTommy Chung— Goldberg noted they did it while “not wearing an ankle bracelet.”

Anna Delvy and her ‘Dancing with the Stars’ partner, Ezra Sosa.ABC/Jose Alvarado, Jr.

ABC/Jose Alvarado, Jr.

PEOPLE spoke to Delvey on Tuesday, moments after herDWTScasting was announced.

She alleged that it took her request to filmDWTS"10 days to get through the system and get everything approved” at ICE — so much so that when that approval came in, “it was very close to the starting day so I kind of flew to LA pretty much the next day and I just decided, ‘Why not?’ "

When asked about facing potential backlash for her controversial casting, Devley said, “It’s just not that serious. If someone is that upset about casting on a dancing show, I don’t know what to tell them.”

Alongside her partnerEzra Sosa, Delvey will compete under the condition she continues to wear her ankle monitor. She toldThe Hollywood Reporterthat her device wouldn’t hinder her ability to perform. “In what way would it affect my performance? It’s actually pretty light,” she said.

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The Viewairs weekdays (11 a.m. ET) on ABC.

source: people.com