U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and a man were escorted from a performance of the musical “Beetlejuice” at the Buell Theater in Denver on Sunday, according to surveillance camera footage and the Garfield County Republican’s reelection campaign.
“I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!),” Drew Sexton, Boebert’s campaign manager, said in a written statement. “She appreciates the Buell Theatre’s strict enforcement of their no photos policy and only wishes the Biden Administration could uphold our border laws as thoroughly and vigorously.”
Theater officials told The Colorado Sun on Monday that two patrons were “escorted from the theater” Sunday, but declined to say who they were, citing privacy concerns.
But surveillance camera footage obtained by The Sun through an open records request showed Boebert and a man being led from the theater and exiting the venue. The two were holding hands as they departed.
The man in the footage does not appear to be her husband, whom she is divorcing. The divorce petition was filed in April.
Brian Kitts, director of marketing and communications for Denver Arts and Venues, said the patrons were talking loudly, vaping and using cameras during the performance. They were warned during an intermission, but the behavior continued into the second act, at which point the two were asked to leave.
As they were being escorted from the property, the two people said “stuff like ‘do you know who I am,’ ‘I am on the board,’ (and) ‘I will be contacting the mayor,'” according to a security incident report obtained by The Sun from the city through an open records request.
The incident report said there were “multiple complaints” about the two people during the performance.
Heidi Bosk, a spokeswoman for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, said the organization is “committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for everyone attending any production.”
“The house staff at the Buell have the right to and routinely deny entry or remove any patrons not adhering to the guest policies,” she said. “We were informed that two patrons were not adhering to the policies which eventually led to them being escorted from the theater.”
Sexton denied that Boebert, who is running for reelection next year in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, was vaping during the “Beetlejuice” performance. Surveillance video obtained Thursday by 9News, however, appeared to confirm that Boebert was vaping in her seat at the theater.
Sexton also noted that The Denver Post, which first reported the “Beetlejuice” incident Tuesday, has called the musical “zany,” “outrageous” and a “lusty riot.”
The Sun asked Boebert’s congressional office Monday for comment about the disturbance. Anthony Fakhoury, Boebert’s congressional spokesman, said “there’s no comments from our office regarding anything that occurred.”
Sexton, however, said Boebert “strongly encourages everyone to go see ‘Beetlejuice,’” adding that the musical “features a fantastic cast, tremendous visuals and plenty of loud laughs for attendees.”
Sexton also said the congresswoman offered theatergoers a “gentle reminder to leave their phones outside of the venue.”
UPDATE: This story was updated at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, to reflect that 9News had obtained surveillance video appearing to confirm that U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was vaping in her seat at the theater.