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Two Anti-Ryan Lochte Protesters Arrested After Rushing 'Dancing With The Stars' Stage
Ryan Lochte continued his journey from Olympic gold medalist to victim to fake victim/huge idiot to reality dance competition contestant by doing the foxtrot last night on Dancing with the Stars. However, two men decided to interrupt the judging by running towards the stage in an apparent attempt to confront the disgraced swimmer.
According to US Weekly, which "obtained unaired, unseen footage," the "protesters approach[ed] the judge's table" while Lochte and dancing partner Cheryl Burke's performance was being evaluated: "In the video, the suspects, L.A. residents Sam Sododeh, 48, Barzeen Soroudi, 40, interrupted the show by standing in front of Lochte, Burke and host Tom Bergeron. A security guard tackled one of the men to the ground while a second guard grabbed the other by the arms and walked him to the side. Sododeh and Soroudi wore white anti Lochte T-shirts and khaki pants."
Here’s video of whatever just happened to Ryan Lochte on #DWTS pic.twitter.com/x8GAfa7aeT
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) September 13, 2016
Video shows security removing the two men:
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And here they are:
Cuffed for rushing the stage at #DWTS during @ryanlochte's dance pic.twitter.com/rjueIKuLsZ
— Jason Nathanson (@ABCNewsJason) September 13, 2016
Lochte—who made up a story about being robbed at gunpoint at a Rio de Janeiro gas station during the Olympics, only to later admit he was drunk and concocted the whole thing after incriminating video showed him peeing on the side of the building and damaging a door—was suspended for 10 months and denied Olympics prize money by USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee. Dancing with the Stars seemed to be part of his image rehabilitation.
Sododeh and Soroudi, who were authorized guests (they apparently put on their shirts during the show) were charged with suspicion of trespassing.
Lochte was shaken, saying he was "a little hurt." He added, "So many feelings are going through my head right now... I came out here. I wanted to do something I'm completely not comfortable with, and I did."
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