Anti-Ryan Lochte protesters stormed 'Dancing with the Stars' and left people shaken
The incident occurred as Lochte and his dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, were hearing comments from judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Suddenly, viewers could hear some scuffling.
Inaba waved her hand as she repeatedly said, "Excuse me," and "Off, off!" People also ran in front of the cameras to address the intruders.
It was clear people on the set were visibly shaken by what happened.
ABC News reported that the two men made it to the the ballroom dance floor and at least four other individuals yelled anti-Lochte chants. ABC's cameras didn't broadcast the two intruders. Host Tom Bergeron announced the show was going to cut to a break.
Upon returning from the break, Bergeron said, "We had to go to break because we had a little incident."
The host then asked Lochte, who was making his debut on the reality competition show, how he was feeling.
"So many feelings are going through my head right now. I'm a little hurt," Lochte said. "I came out here. I wanted to do something that I'm completely not comfortable with, and I did. I came out here with a big smile."
Lochte joined "Dancing with the Stars" after becoming embroiled in an international controversy during the recent Summer Olympics, in which he and other Olympic swimmers fabricated being robbed at gunpoint in Rio, Brazil, during a night out.
Bergeron addressed the incident: "We are nothing if not a country of second chances."
ABC later released the following statement to press:
"Two individuals stormed the dance floor tonight and were immediately subdued and escorted out of the building. The matter is now being handled by authorities."
ABC News correspondent Jason Nathanson tweeted a photo of the two men who rushed the stage. They're shown handcuffed and wearing anti-Lochte shirts.
Representatives for the show didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Watch a video of the "Dancing with the Stars" incident below: