Ryan Lochte Protestors Crash DANCING WITH THE STARS Live Premiere - Watch Video

By: Sep. 13, 2016
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Last night's premiere of DANCING WITH THE STARS was filled with drama, but not the kind that ABC was hoping for. Following Ryan Lochte's ballroom performance with his professional partner Cheryl Burke, two men rushed the stage in an apparent attempt to attack the Olympian, as several supporters of the crashers cheered them on. The live broadcast quickly cut to commercial.

Later, ABC released the following statement on the incident: "An individual stormed the dance floor tonight and was immediately subdued and escorted out of the building. The matter is now being handled by the authorities."

A reporter for ABC's Los Angeles station later tweeted a photo of two handcuffed men, dressed in anti-Lochte t-shirts. The men, both from Los Angeles, were arrested for trespassing:


After the broadcast, Lochte spoke to ET about the incident, saying: "Honestly, it felt like someone just reached inside, took my heart out and tore it to shreds. I was really hurt when I saw that and I was in shock. But I looked at Cheryl [Burke] and she just smiled and said, 'You just did what you said you can't do. You danced in front of millions.' And I was like, 'You're right.'"

Professional dancer Derek Hough, who made his return to the show after taking off last season, later told People Magazine, "This is my home and I was just so shocked that people would come here and be so negative. This is a safe place for people to learn a new skill and seek redemption or start a new chapter in their life and that's what Ryan is trying to do and I just felt so defensive that someone would try and ruin that for him and for everyone watching, so I took it upon myself to make sure they were escorted out. I wanted to protect my home."

Today, ABC News shared additional footage of the incident on GOOD MORNING AMERICA:

PEOPLE also shared the unaired footage of the protestors being tackled by security. Watch the video:


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