The Office‘s Kate Flannery does not approve of convicted fraudster Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, competing on Dancing With the Stars.
Flannery, who played Meredith Palmer on The Office, competed on the 28th season of ABC’s reality dancing competition. On Tuesday, the actor attended the first episode of the new season, where Delvey made her debut with her professional dance partner, Ezra Sosa.
Delvey rose to infamy thanks to the Netflix series Inventing Anna, a dramatization of her crimes defrauding New York socialites. She was convicted in 2019 and released from prison in 2021.
During an appearance on The Domenick Nati Show, Flannery discussed her thoughts on Delvey’s casting.
“I don’t think they need that vibe. I really don’t. I think it’s unnecessary. If they’re looking to get more people to watch the show, I don’t think that’s the way to go,” Flannery said, adding, “I don’t understand all the decisions.”
When the host asked if Delvey’s inclusion on the show was “glamorizing criminals,” Flannery replied, “Maybe … I feel like we can do better than that.”
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images, Disney/Andrew Eccles
In August, the con artist’s casting on Dancing With the Stars raised eyebrows when it was announced, and in her first performance, she danced with a bedazzled ankle monitor.
She is now battling deportation from the U.S. and must wear the Immigration and Customs Enforcement–mandated ankle monitor.
Newsweek contacted Flannery’s representatives and ABC for comment by email outside normal business hours.
Delvey and Sosa performed a cha-cha on Tuesday’s episode, and after their dance, they spoke about the attention her ankle monitor had received.
“It’s actually not a big issue at all. It’s pretty light, and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad,” she told the Associated Press after her DWTS premiere.
“It’s the real star of the show, let’s be honest here,” Sosa added.
He continued: “I think it’s kind of funny how people like—it’s not like an ankle weight. It’s not like 20 pounds. It’s like literally less than a pound, and it’s not a big deal.”
On Wednesday, Delvey responded to negative comments made about her on the official DWTS Instagram account. The comments were made on a post featuring a series of photos of her performance with Sosa.
ICE apprehended Delvey following her release from prison after she allegedly overstayed her visa. She spent more than a year in an ICE detention center before being released to home confinement. She continues to fight deportation to Germany, where she is a citizen.
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Delvey said a judge permitted her to travel within 70 miles of her home and in all five boroughs of New York, the Associated Press reported, allowing her to compete on DWTS.