‘DWTS’: Ryan Lochte Was Humiliated On the Series By Hecklers
In 2005 ABC premiered Dancing with the Stars, and the series has been a smashing hit ever since. Each season the reality television show invites around 15 popular celebrities to compete for a large sum, the Mirrorball Trophy, and, of course, the winning title.
Each celebrity is paired with a professional dancer who guides and leads the celebrities throughout their dancing journeys. Believe it or not, Dancing with the Stars is actually based on a British show called Strictly Come Dancing.
It is obvious that the concept is a successful one. Over the years, Dancing with the Stars has invited their fair share of famous faces and names to the cast. Paula Deen, Corbin Bleu, and Kyle Massey are just a few to name.
Fans and viewers of the beloved show probably can recall season 23 when Ryan Lochte appeared on the series. After all, it was pretty hard to forget.
Who is Ryan Lochte?
Olympian fans probably recognize Lochte’s name from his impressive swimming career. Lochte, a New York native, began swimming at a young age.
His father moved the family to Florida for a swimming coach position. It was Lochte’s father who kick-started his passion as a child. By middle school, Lochte was already preparing for the Junior Olympics.
When it came time for college, the swimmer decided to attend the University of Florida where he had the opportunity to train with Gregg Troy, a famous Olympic swimming coach. After setting my records while in college, Lochte was qualified to begin his Olympic dreams in 2004. Lochte clinched his first gold at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
The impressive swimmer would go on to earn a total of 12 medals, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t always smooth sailing, or swimming, for Lochte.
A look back at Ryan Lochte’s controversial reputation
In addition to his remarkable swimming stats, Lochte is pretty well-known in the public eye. Between his brief stint with reality television, guest appearances on shows like 30 Rock, and his social media presence, Lochte’s fans and followers got to see all sides of the famous swimmer, and, unfortunately, not all of them were great.
When Lochte was in Rio for the 2016 Olympics he found himself in some hot water and not for swimming purposes. Lochte made a police report that he was in a taxi with his friends when they were pulled over by an unmarked cop car and robbed.
However, on August 25, 2016, Lochte was charged by Rio authorities for falsely reporting the crime. Evidence and reports later revealed that Lochte and his friend decided to vandalize a gas station’s bathroom which led to a larger dispute.
Luckily, Lochte was offered a plea deal, but, unfortunately, those weren’t the only consequences. Lochte was issued a 10-month suspension from professionally swimming for the United States.
A recap of Ryan Lochte’s experience with hecklers on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
It goes without saying that Lochte’s suspension was less than ideal, but, fortunately for the swimmer, not all hope was lost. Lochte was invited to participate in season 23 of Dancing with the Stars.
This was a great opportunity for Lochte to do some damage control when it came to his reputation, but, as it turned out, many others had their own agenda. Two men clad in anti-Lochte shirts stormed the stage during the season premiere to cause chaos and send a message.
A group of people had banded together to protest his presence on the series due to his recent controversial encounter with the law in Rio. Tom Bergeron, the former host of Dancing with the Stars, quickly cut to a commercial as security managed to secure the scene.
Lochte is definitely well-known for his swimming career, but his heckling experience on Dancing with the Stars is pretty unforgettable as well.
