Lauren Boebert Dumps Theater Date, Sidesteps Fondling Incident Questions

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Colorado Republican, spoke with TMZ at Washington National Airport outside of Washington, D.C., on Monday about the scandal that has generated significant social media buzz for days. The controversy centered around Boebert and her date engaging in inappropriate behavior at a family-friendly musical, Beetlejuice, including mutual fondling caught on security cameras, has raised eyebrows.

During the conversation with TMZ, Boebert reflected on the evening, saying, “It’s always hard whenever there’s gravity put on the voters. I’m here to provide levity and lift burdens off of people. So anytime that they’re carrying mine, it’s something that [I] kind of feel deep inside.”

She added, “But all in all, it was mostly a lovely time, and I’ve taken responsibility for my actions. I would love to know how the musical ended, and I encourage people to go and see it.”

Boebert, 36, noted that she and her date, Quinn Gallagher, a 46-year-old reported Democrat and bar owner whose establishment has hosted drag shows, have decided not to see each other again.

“We have peacefully parted at this time. A great man, a great friend, and I wish him all the best,” she stated, emphasizing that the decision was unrelated to the reports surrounding their date. “All future date nights have been canceled, and I’ve learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date,” Boebert joked.

In a packed Denver theater two Sundays ago, Boebert, who has gained attention for her anti-drag queen and anti-transgender views, was involved in a public sexual incident during a performance of Beetlejuice: The Musical — a show recommended for ages 10 and up.

The video showed her engaged in what appeared to be lewd behavior with Gallagher, who can be seen grabbing Boebert’s breast as Boebert gropes his crotch.

The couple was ejected from the theater after being asked to stop vaping and disrupting the performance, and social media outrage ensued.

In response to TMZ’s question about how voters reacted to the incident, Boebert noted, “There’s a lot of folks who are certainly understanding, and they understand that it was a part of my personal life, my private time, something that I rarely indulge in.”

Boebert then discussed her political future, indicating significant challenges ahead. “We’ve got a spending battle. We’ve got all sorts of stuff going on. We’ve got impeachment underway,” she said, highlighting the uncertainty of her stay in Washington, D.C.

Republicans are currently engaged in what Democrats have called hostage-taking, demanding spending cuts or risking a government shutdown. House Republicans have also begun an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

There is no evidence that Biden has engaged in any wrongdoing.

The incident at the theater led to allegations of hypocrisy, given Boebert’s history of derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ+ community. Many critics on social media seized on the incident as an opportunity to highlight what they perceived as a double standard.

Boebert has given three public statements about the incident after making light of it and denying any misbehavior.

On Friday, she apologized for her disruptive behavior during the theater incident, attributing it to ongoing divorce proceedings and expressing regret for the unwanted attention it brought to the community. However, she did not immediately address the apparent disconnect between her public sexual behavior and her previous comments regarding appropriate conduct.

This TMZ interview comes in a series of public communications where Boebert has yet to address the central issue in the scandal directly, the mutual public fondling, a strategy she maintained in an OAN appearance a day before, where she navigated around the specific allegations, highlighting her ongoing divorce and personal tribulations instead.

Despite repeated attempts, The Advocate’s inquiries to Boebert’s spokesperson for comment have gone unanswered.