Monday's premiere episode of Dancing With The Stars took a scary turn when something happened to Ryan Lochte, forcing the show to take a quick commercial break. The camera was pointed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba at the time of the incident, so, unfortunately, it was hard to see exactly what happened. But, video of the Ryan Lochte DWTS moment may help fans understand a little more of what went down. UPDATE: a spokesperson for BBC Worldwide Productions, the DWTS distributor, released a statement to Bustle about what happened, stating, "Two individuals stormed the dance floor tonight and were immediately subdued and escorted out of the building. The matter is now being handled by the authorities."
Earlier: Halfway through Inaba's remarks, she appeared to be interrupted by someone. "Excuse me, excuse me!" she shouted at someone off camera. "Off! Off!" Someone raced past her, and then host Tom Bergeron announced the show would be taking a break. When DWTS returned, Bergeron hinted at what happened by thanking the security team "for staying in shape." Us Weekly reported that two Lochte protestors rushed the stage before security intervened and tackled them to the floor. Ryan Lochte's reps declined to comment.
Unfortunately, all fans have to go by is this video, which doesn't show exactly what occurred, rather everyone's reaction to it. But, it's obvious by the sound of Inaba's voice that it was an intense moment for everyone involved.
She later Instagrammed a photo thanking a DWTS security guard.
Bergeron asked Lochte how he was feeling afterwards, and the visibly shaken swimmer answered, "So many feelings are going through my head right now… I’m a little hurt. Um, but you know, I came out here, I wanted to do something that I’m completely not comfortable with, and I did, with a big smile, and I had the best dance partner."
From his comments, plus Len Goodman adding that Lochte would only be judged by his dancing and not anything else, it seems as though whatever happened was in response to Lochte's Rio incident. So, rather than a crazed fan wanting to hug his or her idol, it appears that the incident was in protest or anger. As you may know, Lochte stirred up controversy when he "over-exaggerated" (his words) an incident, claiming he'd been robbed and held at gunpoint while in Rio, Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games.
In a statement to People, DWTS pro Lindsay Arnold commented on the incident, giving more insight as to what happened.
"I was backstage and when I heard the commotion I ran to the side of the stage and I was just in shock. I couldn't believe it was happening. I think it's a shame that people would feel the need to do that. Ryan is just a guy who is coming here to entertain and get a fresh start and it's sad that such a happy night of dance was disrupted like that."
While we may never know exactly what transpired, I am glad to say that security was able to step in and take appropriate action, ensuring that Lochte wasn't hurt and the premiere was able to continue without further incident.
Image: ABC
