Ryan Lochte’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ debut was interrupted on Monday (12.09.16) when two protesters stormed the stage.
The Olympic swimmer was on a mission to win the public over after he created controversy over the summer when he lied about being robbed by armed police during the Rio Games.
But it seems not everyone is willing to forgive the 32-year-old athlete for his actions as two furious individuals lunged towards the floor while Ryan and his professional partner Cheryl Burke were receiving feedback from the judges on their foxtrot to the song ‘Call Me Irresponsible’.
The show came to an abrupt halt and quickly cut to an ad break before the protesters, who were wearing white anti-Lochte T-shirts, were thrown out of the studio by security.
Speaking to E! News after the incident, Ryan said: "It’s hard. [It felt like] someone reached inside and ripped my heart out."
And it wasn’t just Ryan who felt hurt by the chaos as professional dancer Derek Hough, who helped throw the protesters out, was fuming that it had happened on the show.
He explained to ‘Entertainment Tonight’: "I felt the energy in the room change. I’m really sensitive to that, honestly. I got really defensive, not just for Ryan, but for the ballroom, for the show."
And the 31-year-old hunk wasn’t prepared to let the protesters go without a stern word of warning.
He said: "I basically told them aggressively that they need to leave because you don’t do that here.
"And I think that they looked like fools because [Ryan] just did a great dance and he’s out there doing what he can do.
"We’re all human beings. You without sin cast the first stone. I don’t think these people are perfect.
"I don’t think any of us are and I think that to bring that in here, that doesn’t belong in here."
Meanwhile, Ryan has been suspended from domestic and international USA Swimming competitions for 10 months and will be forced to complete 20 hours community service after he falsely claimed that he and three of his teammates had been pulled over and robbed by pretend police in Rio de Janeiro.
He later altered his story and claimed he wasn’t pulled over but had actually asked the taxi to stop so they could use the restroom at a petrol station.
He was later charged by police in Rio for filing a false robbery report and for doing minor vandalism.
Ryan Lochte’s Dancing With the Stars debut ruined by protesters
