Lauren Boebert’s Excuse for Theater Petting Raises Questions

New comments from Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert about her now-infamous theater date have raised questions on social media.

The Republican congresswoman apologized Friday after a video showed her being escorted from a performance Beetle juice in Denver on September 10 after complaints about vaping and disruptive behavior.

Video footage that was later released also showed Boebert appearing to be groping his date and being groped by him.

“All upcoming parties have been canceled,” Boebert told a TMZ photographer in Washington, DC, on Monday. “And I learned to check my party affiliations before going on a date, but overall, you know… it was mostly a nice time and you know, I took responsibility of my actions.”

Boebert’s date, Quinn Gallagher, is reportedly a Democrat and co-owner of a bar that hosted drag shows, something Boebert has openly criticized.

Boebert told TMZ that she and her date separated “peacefully.” It has “nothing to do” with anything that has been reported about him, she said, adding that his status as a “private citizen” was in question. “A great man, a great friend, and I wish him all the best,” she said.

She also said that “a lot of people are certainly understanding and understand that this was part of my personal life, my private time, something I rarely indulge in.”

These comments sparked further questions on social media.

“Was it a first date?!?!?!” wrote journalist Aaron Rupar in an article on X, formerly Twitter.

Republicans against the Trump account wrote: “Lauren Boebert’s lesson from the embarrassing night at the Denver theater? Don’t date Democrats.”

Kaye Ottick added, “‘my personal life, my private time’ in a theater surrounded by people…Lauren just takes the L.”

Dave Warner wrote: “But wait, am I missing something, is she suggesting it was a ‘first date’ with this guy? She didn’t know enough about him to realize that he could be… *GASP* …a Democrat?! How did such a thing happen?!

“And more importantly, how far does she actually go on a first date? I’m not judging… but if you present yourself as a high and mighty Christian with strong morals and you then behave like a cat in heat in public, well, those 2 things are a bit diametrically opposed to each other.”

Some defended Boebert.

“Lauren Boebert has the right to her private life,” writes Paul Schlienz. “Shame on those who would voyeuristically violate it and feign self-righteous condemnation for their own cheap political goals.”

News week contacted Boebert’s office for further comment via email.

According to The Denver PostBoebert and his date resisted as they were led out of the Buell Theater by members of his staff.

They made comments like “do you know who I am?” and “I will contact the mayor,” the newspaper reported. Police arrived and remained in the theater lobby until the two men left.

Boebert denied being argumentative or threatening to contact the mayor.

She apologized Friday, a day after surveillance video surfaced showing the congresswoman vaping in her seat. Her campaign previously denied the theater’s claim that she had vaped.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Boebert said she “really didn’t remember vaping that evening when discussing the night’s events with my campaign team,” but did not mention the gropings.

“These past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I am truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver brought to the community,” she said.

“While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or cause harm, the reality is that they did and I regret that.”

She added: “There is no perfect plan for getting through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has been a difficult personal time for me and my entire family. I have tried to manage it with strength and grace as best I can. I can, but I just didn’t live up to my values ​​on Sunday. This is unacceptable and I’m sorry.”

The congresswoman announced in May that she had filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years, Jayson Boebert.