AceShowbiz - "Dancing with the Stars" raised people's eyebrows when it announced season 33 cast members. Fans were not happy after they found out that Anna Delvey, a convicted felon, was among the stars competing in the upcoming new season.

In response to the backlash, Anna defended herself as she revealed how her stint on the dancing competition series came to be. "Well, [DWTS] approached my team and I had to request ICE for permission to travel out of state because its being filmed in Los Angeles and I'm based in New York. It took them about 10 days to get it through the system and to get everything approved," she told PEOPLE.

"By the time I got the approval, 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?" Anna, who will be competing alongside pro dancer Ezra Sosa, went on saying. Of the criticism, she added, "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."

In her poster for the forthcoming season, Anna could be seen looking glammed up in a bedazzling dress. She completed her style with a pair of beige heels, but it was her ankle monitor that caught people's attention.

Upon catching wind of the image, Internet users quickly put ABC on blast for its decision to let Anna, who was the subject of Netflix's "Inventing Anna", perform on the show with her ankle monitor. "Broooo I don't like pulling the race card like ever..but I know for a fact if she was black they wouldn't even consider her," a critic wrote in an Instagram comment.

"I love how America promotes being famous with criminal activity," another said sarcastically, adding, "Way to go. We're all doomed." Similarly, one other noted, "Only in America does the media glorify criminals. Same way they do to that chick Gypsy who murdered her mother."

A comment read, "White criminals always prosper ….." Another said, "I'm sorry but seeing Anna Delvey in a promo picture for Dancing With The Stars(a very family friendly show), wearing an ankle monitor is crazy to me. Put Chris Brown on that Super Bowl stage now!!!"

In its post, ABC's official account introduced Anna, whose real name is Anna Sorkin, as "the notorious so-called 'fake heiress' whose financial crimes and lavish lifestyle inspired the Emmy-nominated Netflix show 'Inventing Anna'."

It further noted, "In 2019, Delvey was convicted on eight counts, including grand larceny and theft of services. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison, fined $24,000, and ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in restitution. She was released on good behavior in 2021."

Other cast members for season 33 of "DWTS" include Phaedra Parks, Eric Roberts, Tori Spelling, Dwight Howard, Brooks Nader, Joey Graziadei, Jenn Tran, Chandler Kinney, Stephen Nedoroscik, Reginald VelJohnson and more.