Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert issued an apology after she and a male companion were escorted out of a Denver theater’s production of the “Beetlejuice” musical for causing a disturbance on Sunday.
The apology came a day after surveillance video emerged that showed Boebert vaping at her seat in the theater. Her campaign earlier denied the theater’s contention that she had been vaping. The disturbance involved laughing, singing, recording and vaping, according to a report released earlier this week.
In a Friday evening Facebook post, Boebert acknowledged the “unwanted attention” she received following her appearance at the venue and insisted that her words and actions that night had not been meant to be “malicious” or to “cause harm.”
“The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I’m truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community,” Boebert wrote. “While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that.”
Rep. Boebert acknowledged Friday the “unwanted attention” she received following her appearance at the venue and insisted that her words and actions that night had not been meant to be “malicious” or to “cause harm.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“There’s no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family. I’ve tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That’s unacceptable and I’m sorry,” she continued.
The Republican lawmaker also said she “genuinely” did not recall vaping during the performance.
“Whether it was the excitement of seeing a much-anticipated production or the natural anxiety of being in a new environment, I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the night’s events with my campaign team while confirming my enthusiasm for the musical,” she added. “Regardless of my belief, it’s clear now that was not accurate; it was not my or my campaign’s intention to mislead, but we do understand the nature of how this looks. We know we will have to work to earn your trust back and it may not happen overnight, but we will do it.”
Offering appreciation for those who had supported her in recent days, Boebert, who represents Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, said she had “learned some humbling lessons these past few days” and vowed to move forward while making her constituents “proud.”
The Denver Post reported that in an incident shared with the publication Tuesday, two patrons at a performance of the touring Broadway show had been asked to leave the Buell Theatre, which is owned by the City of Denver.
The pair were reportedly given warnings during intermission that there had been three complaints from attendees.
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Five minutes into the second act, security reportedly received another complaint about the patrons “being loud and at the time (they) were recording,” which is prohibited at shows.
One of the ushers, the publication said, was quoted as saying, “They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them.”
While Boebert and the other patron were not identified in the report, the congresswoman confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she was “guilty.”
“It’s true, I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theatre and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud,” she posted. “Everyone should go see it if you get the chance this week, and please let me know how it ends!”
Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, also told The Post at the time that Boebert denied vaping, though she did take a photo of the performance with her cellphone, claiming that she had not known that photos were not permitted.
“I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!) and, to the dismay of a select few, enthusiastically enjoyed a weekend performance of ‘Beetlejuice,’” Sexton told the publication.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., chats with reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
According to the report, the two patrons were escorted out and resisted leaving, saying things like, “Do you know who I am?” “I am on the board,” and “I will be contacting the mayor.”
Footage from the venue was released after the incident took place and showed Boebert vaping and blowing vapor into the air. Other footage shared across social media appeared to show Boebert and the male patron touching each other inappropriately during the show.
Other footage appeared to show Boebert flipping off those who ushered her out of the theater.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
