Surveillance footage captured during a Beetlejuice show in Denver appears to contradict Lauren Boebert‘s version of events and shows her vaping during the performance.
A spokesperson for the congresswoman previously denied she had vaped in the theatre, from which she was ejected on Sunday night after “causing a disturbance,” reported The Denver Post.
Ms Boebert’s team previously claimed heavy fog machines and electronic cigarettes were used during the play, which lead to a “misunderstanding” that the controversial politician was using an electronic cigarette.
Footage from the show appears to show Ms Boebert vaping— (NBC)
But new footage, obtained by NBC, shows Ms Boebert sitting in the theater and raising her hand to her face before a puff of smoke comes out of her mouth.
The video also shows a woman sitting behind the congresswoman leaning in to speak to her. The Denver Post reported the woman was pregnant and asked Ms Boebert to stop vaping, to which the congresswoman replied “no”.
The woman, who described Ms Boebert’s behaviour as “outrageous”, also alleged the congresswoman called her a “sad and miserable person” after she asked to move seats during the intermission.
Ms Boebert can also be seen in the footage taking flash photos during the show and raising her arms as if to dance.
She has been contacted for comment.
Ms Boebert can be seen in the footage taking flash photos during the show— (NBC)
The Republican lawmaker, who was not named in an incident report, was warned about her behaviour during an intermission after three complaints were made, before she was eventually told to leave.
FollowingThe Denver Post’s initial report, Ms Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, confirmed the congresswoman and her companion were escorted out of the show but claimed that — while the congresswoman did use her phone to take pictures of the performance — she was not vaping throughout the show.
“I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!) and, to the dismay of a select few, enthusiastically enjoyed a weekend performance of ‘Beetlejuice’,” he said in a statement.
Additional security footage from the theatre shows Ms Boebert and her companion being escorted from their seats.
A separate camera then picks up the pair returning to the lobby. Ms Boebert flings her arm up in the air at one point before walking away.
Lauren Boebert is seen being escorted out of theatre— (9News)
The incident report, obtained by The Post, states that after their warning, officials received another complaint around five minutes into the second act.
“They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them,” an usher is quoted as saying in the report.
The report states that the two theatregoers were taken down to the vestibule, where they refused to leave, telling staff “stuff like ‘do you know who I am,’ ‘I am on the board’ (and) ‘I will be contacting the mayor.’ ”
Police arrived and stayed in the theatre until Ms Boebert and her companion left, according to the report.
