Theater video surveillance shows US Rep. Lauren Boebert escorted out of ‘Beetlejuice’ musical

CNN

By Amy Simonson, CNN

(CNN) — Surveillance video from a performing arts theater in Denver shows Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert being escorted out of the musical “Beetlejuice” on Sunday after “multiple complaints” from patrons.

The Buell Theater surveillance video, obtained by CNN affiliate KUSA, shows officials addressing Boebert and her companion at their seats inside the theater. After several minutes of conversation, they can be seen getting up and following officials out of the theater.

The pair can be seen walking with officials through the theater and exiting out onto the street.

Denver Arts & Venues emailed CNN a report Wednesday detailing an incident involving theater officials escorting two patrons out of the theater after they received three different complaints that the patrons sitting in Orchestra C Row E seats 1 and 2 were “vaping, singing, causing a disturbance.”

“The patrons were not at their seats when we arrived, and we waited until they returned,” the report said. “Once the patrons returned, I informed them that our usher team had noticed vaping and also that they were causing a disturbance for the area with noise, singing, using their cell phone, and that they need to be respectful to their neighbors.”

The official warned the patrons that if another complaint was received, they would be asked to leave, according to the report.

“The patrons were argumentative. Saying they were in concert with everyone around them. I again informed them it was a group experience, and they would be asked to leave if they continued,” the official said in the report.

After an additional complaint was made saying the patrons were “being loud and at the time were recording,” they were asked to leave, the report said.

“I told them that they need to leave the theatre 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,” the theater official said in the report.

According to the report, the individuals then left the theater on their own and were then escorted outside the doors.

Boebert’s name was not listed in the incident report, nor could theater officials confirm that she was the individual escorted out from the theater.

“We would not confirm that. We didn’t have names attached to our incident report since there was no police contact,” Denver Arts & Venues spokesperson Brian Kitts said in an email to CNN.

In a social media post Tuesday, Boebert said she had attended the performance and said she was “guilty to laughing and singing too loud.”

“It’s true, I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theatre and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud! Everyone should go see it if you get the chance this week and please let me know how it ends,” she said in the post.

In a statement shared with CNN, Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, said Boebert denied vaping during the show but did use her cellphone to take a picture of the performance, unaware that photos were not allowed. The statement was first shared with the Denver Post.

“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 said in the statement.

Boebert previously made headlines when she shouted during President Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address as he discussed helping US veterans, and when she made an unfounded suggestion in 2021 that Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was a terrorist, for which Boebert later apologized.

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CNN’s Shawna Mizelle, Rachel Webb and Haley Talbot contributed to this report.