Rep. Lauren Boebert breaks up with drag show-hosting bar owner seen groping her at theater

DENVER (TND) — Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., broke up with the man who accompanied her to a “Beetlejuice” showing after the two were removed from the show for “causing a disturbance,” the lawmaker told TMZ.

Video from last week shows Boebert vaping and taking flash selfies during the performance while the two groped one another, leading to their removal. Her campaign previously admitted to the incident, but denied that she was vaping, claiming the smoke came from on-stage fog machines.

The lawmaker said she has since owned up to her actions, citing her recent apology, but still decided to part ways with her date, explaining that “all future date nights have been canceled.”

“It was mostly a lovely time and I’ve taken responsibility for my actions. I would love to know how the musical ended,” she said. “Honestly, he’s a private citizen and we peacefully parted. Great man, great friend and I wish him all the best.”

READ MORE | Video shows Rep. Lauren Boebert vaping at Denver theater, flipping off employees while getting kicked out

Boebert's date was later identified by some news outlets as Quinn Gallagher, the 46-year-old Democratic owner of Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Colorado. Commenters soon inundated the bar, which has previously hosted drag performances, with negative reviews on Facebook, making references to its owner’s association with Boebert.

“There was a roach in my mojito,” one commenter said. “I think it fell out of the bartender’s cleavage from her fake boobs. She looked familiar too. The owner just seems to make a lot of bad choices here.”

“Gotta love a place who will take your money but hang out with bigots who deem you worthless and vote against your very business existing,” another said. “Save your money, skip this bar.”

Despite the outrage over the incident, Boebert has claimed that many Colorado residents did not take issue with the way she used her personal time.

“There are a lot of folks who are certainly understanding,” she said. “They understand it was a part of my personal life and private time, something I rarely indulge in.”

Also chiming in on the issue was Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who recently became the subject of controversy after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., accused the Senate of dropping its dress policy in order to “appease” him.

READ MORE | Schumer reportedly nixes Senate dress code, accused of 'lowering the bar' to 'appease Fetterman'

“I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, they'll make me a folk hero,” Fetterman said on social media, nodding to news coverage of Boebert while defending himself against accusations of driving the policy change.