Whoopi Goldberg Blasts Her Own Network ABC for Casting Con Artist on 'DWTS': "What the Hell, Man?"

Whoopi Goldberg isn't holding back on her criticism of Anna Sorokin’s casting on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. During a recent episode of The View, Goldberg expressed her confusion and agitation over why the convicted con artist, known for posing as a wealthy heiress named Anna Delvey, was given a spot on the famous dance show. Sorokin, who was convicted of several counts of theft and fraud in 2019, was placed under house arrest, yet managed to gain special permission to participate in the competition.

As per HuffPost, Goldberg started the conversation by referencing the families affected by deportation and ICE arrests. She remarked, “I think back to the families who have had family members arrested by ICE, who have gone to the courts to get their dad or their brother or their mother back, and this woman, they permitted her to go do this. Now, should I think there’s a reason? Is there a two-tiered system here with ICE?”

Goldberg exclaimed, “I don’t understand why she gets to stay. I’m listening to people bitch about what’s going on at the border, and I’m listening to people bitch about all these people who shouldn’t be here, well what the hell, man? How does this work?” Sorokin, who has been under house arrest since her release from federal custody, has accumulated attention not only for her fraudulent past but also for her role in inspiring Netflix’s hit series Inventing Anna, as reported by the New York Post.

The View co-hosts echoed Goldberg’s sentiments. Sunny Hostin posed concerns and remarked, “When you think about it, she defrauded so many people and then spent two years in prison, and then had to spend another 18 months in prison for overstaying her welcome and overstaying her visa so she committed another crime and what is the, I don’t know, consequence of it? A bejeweled ankle monitor... a federal bejeweled ankle monitor, and a spot on a television show.” Alyssa Farah Griffin added, “I’m here for a redemption arc, not a rehabilitation arc... She still owes people money, and con artists tend to remain con artists.”

The controversial casting of Sorokin ignited debate after promotional photos of her wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor were released. Goldberg couldn’t help but view Sorokin’s inclusion on the show as a slap in the face to many. She said, “We’ve got to support the network. I get all of that but it feels like a big slap in the face to a lot of people who’ve been trying to make their way back to this country.” Intriguingly, Sorokin in an interview explained, “I kind of [was]...talked into doing this. And I got the permission from ICE, and then it was, like, kind of too late to back out.”