The two idiots who rushed the Dancing with the Stars stage in protest of Ryan Lochte on Monday night have spoken out for the first time.
TMZ caught up with 59-year-old Sam Sotoodeh and 25-year-old Barzeen Soroudi (yes, they’re related) soon after they were released by the police yesterday.
Each took a minute to explain why he emerged from the audience of the ABC reality show in order to make his feelings about Lochte known.
First, Soroudi labeled his action as a "non-violent protest."
He said the men had no intention of hurting anyone, they simply don’t "agree with the Walt Disney Company choosing Lochte to represent Americans."
Soroudi went on to say he was in Brazil for the Olympics this summer.
Locthe "embarrassed Americans" there when he "lied," adding that it became dangerous for him and others to simply walk around.
"Americans became targets in Rio," he told TMZ. "It became difficult for Americans there.
"We don’t take what he did lightly. He embarrassed Americans on the world stage."
Lochte, a 12-time medalist, got into major trouble toward the end of his stay in Brazil after a drunken night out with teammates on the United States Swim Team.
He initially told the public that he and his friends were robbed at gunpoint…
… only to later admit that he wasn’t exactly fully honest or candid.
Via video evidence and the testimony of his teammates, it became clear that Locthe got drunk; vandalized a bathroom; and then got into an argument with a security guard who demanded he pay for the damage he caused.
The security guard did pull a gun on Lochte and his teammates in order to ensure they stuck around while the cops were called.
The guy is a pretty huge idiot and we agree that Ryan Lochte should not have been chosen for Dancing with the Stars.
But we’re absolutely against the moronic actions of the protesters featured here.
Sotoodeh, meanwhile, sounds like he may be gearing up for a lawsuit.
In his interview with TMZ, the went on about how "unnecessary" it was for security guards to tackle him to the ground.
He says he has bruises on his body and that his back really hurts.
He also referred to Lochte as a "liar" and a "coward."
How does Lochte feel about what happened?
"It’s hard," he told E! News’ Sibley Scoles on Tuesday, adding that it felt like "someone reached inside and ripped my heart out and stepped on it."
Cheryl Burke, Lochte’s partner on Season 21, has his back, however.
"Ryan really is such an amazing guy," she tells People Magazine.
"I can’t say that enough. Anyone who has watched me on the show over the years has seen me with partners I haven’t connected to or had chemistry with and you can clearly see that we have a sibling bond.
"I almost feel like I’m a motherly figure to him right now…
"This is a family-friendly show that should never be the source of any hate.
"It’s about celebrating dance and making people happy and I look forward to getting back to that next week."