Two men were arrested for trespassing Monday after rushing U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte on the set of the popular American television show Dancing with the Stars.
Advertisement
BBC Worldwide Productions, which develops and produces the show, told TheWrap in a statement, “Two individuals stormed the dance floor tonight and were immediately subdued and escorted out of the building”. Released from lockup in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday morning, Sam Saotoodeh and Barzeen Soroudi said they were in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics and were embarrassed by Lochte’s behavior. An audience member was able to record an insider clip at the right moment where security guards tackled Soroudi and Sotoodeh.
The 12-time Olympic medallist is the most high-profile celebrity on the 23rd season of Dancing With the Stars, which has been a popular venue for those seeking a comeback or trying to change their image.
Lochte, who won a gold medal at this year’s Rio Olympics, has been the focus of much criticism after falsely claiming he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint during a night out in Rio. Other protestors wearing the same anti-Lochte shirts were also causing a ruckus in the audience.
Things took a surprise turn as judge Carrie Ann Inaba attempted to share her thoughts on Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke’s performance.
Watch the incident unfold from camera perspectives that weren’t shown on air. Swimmer Ryan Lochte reportedly suspended 10 monthsSecurity tackled the men to the ground and they were removed from the stage.
When the show returned, host Bergeron explained they were interrupted by “a little incident” and thanked the ABC series’ security team “for staying in shape”. Lochte added that he was “a little hurt, but I came out here”.
Advertisement
He also spoke out about how the incident has influenced the way he feels about the ABC reality TV show. Cheryl commented: “I’m hurt for Ryan”, Cheryl told Tom after the commercial break. A row of people wearing the anti-Lochte shirts could be seen in the back row, and they too were escorted from the studio. “And I came out with a big smile, and I had the best dance partner”.
