This controversial dancer could make big money if she emerges the winner of this season’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Anna Sorokin, a socialite who allegedly deceived banks and friends by pretending to be a wealthy German heiress, is participating in “Dancing with the Stars” in an effort to enter the media industry.

Sorokin’s premiere on the ABC show was in September 2024 when she and professional dancer Ezra Sosa performed a Cha Cha to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.

Fans had plenty to say when they saw she was one of the contestants. One person vented, “There needs to be a rule for banning controversial contestants.”

Another voiced their frustration, “Shes not a celeb shes a con artist [sic].” Someone else was taken aback by the decision, exclaiming, “I’m still shocked the government allowed her to compete on dancing with the Stars [sic].”

Even with fans’ frustrations, Anna Sorokin remains part of the participants and will be earning as her fellow contestants. As per several sources, contestants on “Dancing with the Stars” take home $125,000 for the show’s rehearsal period, including their first two weeks on air. However, if they make it to week three and beyond, their earnings increase.

In 2010, the pay structure was tiered, starting at $10,000 per episode for weeks three and four, increasing to $20,000 for weeks five and six, $30,000 for weeks seven and eight, and reaching $50,000 per episode for the final two weeks.

Sources note that the total maximum contestants can make is $295,000. In 2020, the pay slips for most contestants were under $20,000 while in 2023, all 14 cast members were being paid just under $50,000 for their appearance in the competition.

So, Sorokin, who was born in Russia and made news headlines when she was accused of being a con woman, is set to earn from the popular show.

Known by the alias Anna Delvey, she claimed to be a wealthy heiress until authorities found out that she was the daughter of a Russian truck driver.

Before authorities traced her roots, Sorokin lived a glamorous lifestyle in the US, dining in top restaurants and going to big celebrities’ parties. The city’s elite gravitated toward her as she hosted lavish dinners for celebrities, artists, athletes, and top executives at the upscale Le Coucou restaurant.

Banks provided her with loans, and hotels allowed her to stay for extended periods without demanding payment. One of her friends even covered a $62,000 luxury vacation bill during their trip to Marrakesh, Morocco, confident they would be reimbursed.

Sorokin came across as a rich woman as she would effortlessly charter a private jet to attend a shareholders’ meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, for the weekend.

Prosecutors said her bold scam lasted for 10 months. During this time, the 33-year-old woman allegedly swindled banks, law firms, hotels, fashion designers, private jet companies, and even friends, accumulating at least $275,000 in fraudulent gains.

She was nicknamed the “socialite scammer,” and faced 16 charges, including grand theft and larceny, with the possibility of a 15-year prison sentence if convicted. She denied all charges.

However, the saga propelled her to global fame. In 2018, when Shonda Rhimes began her partnership with Netflix, her production company Shondaland, secured the rights to Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article, “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People.”

Rhimes wrote the series adaptation for the streaming platform and it was released on February 11, 2022, titled, “Inventing Anna.” Now, Sorokin’s popularity will be boosted after her debut on “Dancing with the Stars,” where she will earn a lucrative cash price if she wins.