Protesters Tackle Olympian Lochte During Live DWTS Show

In October 2025, news has resurfaced about the chaotic events that unfolded during pro dancer Cheryl Burke's time on Dancing With the Stars in 2016. Burke was paired with controversial Olympian Ryan Lochte that season, and the fallout from Lochte's "Lochtegate" scandal at the Rio Olympics quickly spilled over onto the DWTS stage.

During a live episode, as Burke and Lochte were performing the foxtrot, pandemonium erupted when two protesters rushed the stage wearing anti-Lochte t-shirts. Burke recalled the terrifying moment, saying she and the other dancers thought the protesters "had guns and they were gonna blow our heads off." The protesters were quickly tackled by show security and arrested.

While the incident was cut from the live broadcast, footage shows judge Carrie Ann Inaba repeatedly shouting "Excuse me!" as the protesters advanced toward Lochte. Burke said she couldn't fully recall why the attendees felt so compelled to protest the athlete, but she remembered thinking when she was paired with Lochte, "'Oh great, I'm getting another controversial figure, and is this guy just going to be lazy?" However, Burke ultimately found Lochte to be "such a sweet man."

The protests stemmed from the 2016 "Lochtegate" scandal, in which Lochte and his teammates falsely claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint during the Rio Olympics. In reality, the men had vandalized a gas station, leading to a confrontation with security guards. Lochte was suspended from Team USA for 10 months and faced charges in Brazil, which were later dropped.

Despite the controversy, Burke and Lochte went on to place 7th on that season of DWTS, with the crown going to gymnast Laurie Hernandez and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy.