Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert did a bit more than vape before she was booted from a performance of “Beetlejuice the Musical” in Denver last weekend.
A new surveillance clip obtained by TMZ appears to show the Republican representative getting aggressively handsy with her date during the family-friendly performance, recommended for children ages 10 and up by the Broadway League.
Security cameras caught Boebert’s male plus-one overtly fondling her breast, prompting her to dip her hand between his legs. The groping continued for several minutes, with Boebert at one point grinning and squirming about in her seat before she placed another hand below her partner’s belt.
It’s only the latest footage to emerge suggesting the congresswoman abandoned etiquette during Sunday’s performance of “Beetlejuice” at the Buell Theatre. She was also caught vaping on camera as she searched for her seat at the venue. After the lights went down, Boebert was seen dancing disruptively in her seat and taking photos of herself — with the flash on — throughout the show.
According to an incident report from the Buell Theatre obtained by USA TODAY, the pair of patrons “received three different complaints” and were accused of “vaping, singing” and “causing a disturbance.” The venue also released video of the couple being escorted out of the theater by staff, though they didn’t identify those featured at the time.
During the confrontation, Boebert reportedly made comments amounting to “do you know who I am” and “I will be contacting the mayor,” according to theater representatives. The twosome also initially refused to leave, exiting only after they were informed a police officer was en route, the theater said.
On social media platform X, Boebert admitted to “laughing and singing too loud,” but her staff initially denied she vaped — even after a pregnant theatergoer asked the 36-year-old lawmaker to put away the device, according to The Denver Post. But as video footage started circulating on social media, Boebert, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, was forced to again address her bad behavior.
She said that it was never her intention to lie to the public, noting that she “genuinely did not recall vaping that evening” when she discussed the night’s events with her team.
“Regardless of my belief, it’s clear now that was not accurate,” she continued. “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.”
Boebert added that her actions “simply fell short of my values,” blaming her ongoing divorce for her inappropriate behavior.
“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,” she said Friday.
In May, the far-right lawmaker filed for divorce from Jayson Boebert, her husband of 16 years, citing irreconcilable differences
“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,” her apology continued, according to The Colorado Sun. “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.”
Here is security footage of Lauren Boebert at a family-friendly musical performance before she was kicked out.
These are the same Republicans claiming that drag queens are “sexualizing” public spaces. https://t.co/6vUd6j8sSq
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) September 16, 2023
Her apology, however, seems to have fallen on deaf ears. In the wake of the groping footage being released, critics of Boebert took to social media to call out the hypocrisy of her behavior, given the ultraconservative’s stance on a number of issues.
“Lauren Boebert is trash,” Meghan McCain said on Saturday. “She lectures everyone about the LGBT community being a threat to children while getting caught performing a lewd sex act in a public theater where children possibly were. … This is why people think the GOP are all hypocrites.”
“Just so I’m caught up: Lauren Boebert is ‘pro-life’ but vaped in a pregnant woman’s face? And she wants to ‘protect children’ from drag queens but participated in sexual acts while at a family musical?” wrote New York journalist Jessica Valenti.
Outspoken actor George Takei also added to the dialogue: “Rep. Lauren Boebert, who urged parents to take their kids to CHURCH not DRAG SHOWS, was caught in a public performance of ‘Beetlejuice,’ a children’s show, groping and getting groped by her date. I’ve had it with their hypocritical moralizing. They have no standing to judge or constrain ANYONE else’s private life.”
Boebert has yet to expressly address the latest footage.
