Julianne Hough Says She Is 'So Obsessed' with Anna Delvey’sDancing with the StarsCasting

Mar. 15, 2025

From left: Julianne Hough and Anna Delvey.Photo:getty (2)

getty (2)

Anna Delvey’sDancing with the Starscasting has been marred in controversy — butJulianne Houghis ready to see her compete for the mirrorball.

On the Sept. 16 episode of theCall It What It Ispodcast, theDWTScohost, 36, discussed Delvey’s casting with podcast cohostsJessica CapshawandCamila Luddington. While reacting to Delvey competing with her ankle bracelet while she remains under house arrest, the trio didn’t hold back as they expressed their excitement.

“Some people are so angry about this. I love it. Some people are not happy, it’s controversial,” Luddington shared before Hough agreed, “It’s controversial for sure. I’m so obsessed.”

Anna Delvey on ‘Dancing with the Stars’.Disney/Andrew Eccles

Disney/Andrew Eccles

Hough added that the show could be a “great opportunity” for Delvey as it “allows people to show their most true self.”

“I just love it so much because I was obsessed with the show, andJulia Garnerjust crushed it,” said Hough, referencing Garner’s portrayal of Delvey in Netflix’sInventing Anna. “And there’s so much fun to be had with it and she like plays into it.”

Anna Delvey on April 11, 2019.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, 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.

Delvey made headlines when it was revealed onGood Morning Americaon Sept. 4 that she would be competing for the mirrorball trophy alongside 12 other contestants. While speaking to PEOPLE moments after the news dropped, she revealed that she receivedspecial permissionfrom ICE to compete under the condition she would continue wearing her ankle bracelet.

Anna Delvey on July 13, 2023.Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Earlier this month,Dancing with the Starsshowrunner, Conrad Green, defended the series' decision to give Delvey the opportunity to perform.

“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 toldVariety. “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.”

Noting how the convicted con artist, 33, is familiar with the “world of fashion,” he added that he believes fans will “really want to see her” hit the dance floor.

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“She’s a very valid and interesting part of that cast,” Green explained. “Yes, she had the issues she’s had, but we’ve had other people on the show who’ve had criminal issues in the past. She served her time.”

“I think it’s perfectly valid for her to be on the show, and I think people have been really curious to see how she performs,” he added.

source: people.com