Ryan Lochte got some up close and personal attention from two anti-Lochte people who rushed the stage right after the swimmer finished his foxtrot routine on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Lochte said he felt “a little hurt” after two men were arrested for allegedly rushing the stage following his performance on “Dancing with the Stars.”
The two men, wearing anti-Lochte T-shirts, were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing, Los Angeles police spokesman Officer Mike Lopez said.
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They had rushed the stage while Lochte was getting his scores from judge Carrie Ann Inaba for his debut performance during Monday night’s live installment of the celebrity ballroom dance competition.
“Hey, back off,” Inaba said as the altercation was occurring off screen.
The network went to a commercial break, but the camera briefly showed Lochte and his dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, as both appeared flustered and surprised.
“Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron addressed the interruption after the commercial break.
“We had to go to break because we had a little incident,” he said, although he didn’t clarify any further. Bergeron thanked the security team on the show.
He also asked Lochte how he was doing after the interruption.
“So many feelings are going through my head right now,” said the Olympic swimmer. “I’m a little hurt.”
After the show, Lochte told CNN that he was saddened by what happened.
“You know, at that moment, I was really heartbroken,” he said. “My heart just sunk. It felt like somebody just ripped it apart.”
But Lochte added he “had to brush it off.”
“I had to realize that I came out here in front of millions. I did something that I did not know how to do — I don’t know how to dance,” he said. “And I gave it my all and I’m glad I did it and I’m glad I’m here.”
His dancing partner, Burke said she was “completely shocked” but “beyond” proud of him.
CNN crews captured two suspected protesters outside of the event being led away in handcuffs. They both wore T-shirts that contained a red circle with a slash going through the word Lochte. One man called Lochte “a liar.”
A spokesperson for the company that produces “Dancing with the Stars,” told CNN that “the matter is now being handled by the authorities.”
When the show returned, “Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron explained they were interrupted by “a little incident” and thanked the ABC series’ security team “for staying in shape.”
The two men were detained by security until police arrived to take them into custody, Los Angeles police spokesman Mike Lopez said. He did not have the men’s names.
No one was injured or listed as a victim in the incident, Lopez said.
The swimmer told Bergeron that “so many feelings are going through my head right now.” Lochte added that he was “a little hurt, but I came out here. I wanted to do something I’m completely not comfortable with, and I did.”
ABC did not immediately return messages seeking comment about the incident.
During the episode, the Olympic medalist performed a foxtrot routine with professional partner Cheryl Burke to “Call Me Irresponsible.” They received a combined score from the judges of 24 out of 40.
Lochte and teammates have faced criticism since they were involved in an early-morning drunken encounter during the Olympics last month at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They later claimed they were threatened and robbed.
United States team officials banned Lochte for 10 months, requiring him to forfeit $100,000 in bonuses and miss the 2017 world championships.