DWTS Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Criticized “Dismissive” Anna Delvey

Anna Delvey’s blunt reaction to her Dancing with the Stars elimination has been going viral. However, DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba isn’t thrilled with the former contestant.

Delvey and her dance pro partner, Ezra Sosa, were voted off the competition on Sept. 24, alongside Tori Spelling and her partner, Pasha Pashkov. When the show’s co-host Julianne Hough asked Delvey what she’d take away from her ballroom experience, she replied, “Nothing.”

Later, Good Morning America asked Delvey about her favorite part of being on the show. “Getting eliminated,” she said. While co-host Hough declared Delvey’s comments “iconic,” DWTS judge Inaba failed to see the funny side.

“I was taken aback by her comment,” Inaba told Entertainment Weekly. “That was dismissive not only of the opportunity she was given, of her wonderful and supportive partner Ezra [Sosa] in his debut season, but also of all of us who work on the show — from the dancers to behind the scenes to the creative team.”

She continued, “We all put in the effort to give her a fair opportunity. But I don’t think she could see that and it’s a shame. A little gratitude could have changed the narrative.”

When asked if she was surprised by the first Dancing with the Stars Season 33 eliminations, Inaba said Spelling’s exit caught her “off guard.” As for Delvey, the judge added that the audience “did what felt right to them.”

“That’s the beauty of DWTS for our fans. Our fans are passionate and engaged and they vote for who they want to win,” she continued, before clarifying, “I’d like to point out something important. Our fans don’t vote people off ... Our fans vote for who they want to win.”

Anna’s DWTS Apology

Sosa said he wasn’t surprised by his dance partner’s viral elimination response, telling Extra that he “knew she was going to say something very iconic and something very ‘Anna Delvey’ with her exit.”

The dance pro also revealed that Delvey apologized to him after being voted off. “She honestly kept on apologizing to me. She felt super sorry that my first season was cut short,” he said. “I honestly wanted to stay longer for my partner ... to give her a chance to really grow on camera and let America really see who she really is.”