American Olympic swimming champion Ryan Lochte said he was “a little hurt” after two men rushed the stage and reportedly attempted to tackle him during his appearance Monday on the Season 23 premiere of Dancing with the Stars.
The incident occurred off-camera, but studio audience members can be heard reacting to the ruckus. Viewers watching the live show on TV saw a split-screen of Lochte’s performance and one of the show’s judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, scoring his routine. It’s here that Inaba is seen reacting to the incident, saying “excuse me, excuse me, hey, back off.”
Dancing host Tom Bergeron can also be heard reacting to the incident, saying, “Alright, wow! Okay! I tell you what. We’ll take a break. We’ll get the rest of the judges’ comments — take a deep breath — we’ll be right back.”
Video posted on Twitter shows Inaba and Bergeron’s reaction, as audience members recoil at what they’re witnessing.
Lochte had just finished a foxtrot and was standing next to his dance partner Cheryl Burke, when, according to TMZ, two men rushed the gold medalist. The men were reportedly taken down by security and detained.
A tweet from ABC news reporter Jason Nathanson shows a picture of the two men with their hands behind their backs and wearing white t-shirts with a “No Lochte” sign on them.
The two unidentified suspects were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing, according to the Associated Press.
“So many feelings are going through my head right now,” Lochte reportedly told Bergeron after the commercial break. Lochte also said he was “a little hurt,” adding, “I came out here and I wanted to do something I was completely uncomfortable with, and I did.”
Late Monday, Inaba posted a picture to Instagram with a caption recapping the incident.
“We had a bit of a scary moment during tonight’s live taping of @dancingabc, but thanks to our security team and incredible staff at #DWTS, no one got hurt,” she wrote. “Only positive energy here tonight and always. Thank you.”
Before he took the stage on DWTS, the twelve-time Olympic gold medalist was forced to apologize for fabricating a robbery report during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Lochte, who fled Brazil before authorities could seize his passport, lost several sponsors as a result of the controversy.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson
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