Drew Barrymore Rushes Off Stage as Stalker Approaches Her

Drew Barrymore had a scary close call with a stalker on Monday in New York City. The actress was on stage at the venue 92Y where she was interviewing singer Reneé Rapp in front of a live audience. The talk came to an abrupt end when Barrymore’s stalker was apprehended, and the whole thing was caught on camera.

Videos from the scene are going viral, showing Barrymore forced to stop in mid-sentence when she hears shouting from out in the crowd. A wider angle shows a man approaching the stage as Rapp tenses, first sitting up straight then hopping out of her chair and reaching for Barrymore. The two followed one security guard off the stage without another word while others intercepted the man rushing the stage. The venue later shared posts showing that this event was able to continue as planned once the man had been removed.

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According to a report by Unilad, the man’s shouting has been transcribed. He apparently called out to Barrymore by name, then said that his name is “Chad Michael Busto.” He said: “You know who I am. I need to see you at some point while you’re in New York.” After that, the man was apprehended by security who ejected him from the building. The rest of the crowd sat in a stunned silence.

The description for this event read: “Join acclaimed singer-songwriter and actress Reneé Rapp for a conversation with Drew Barrymore on her debut LP Snow Angel, followed by a special performance.” This interruption certainly disrupted that plan, but thankfully it wasn’t derailed entirely. So far, neither Rapp nor Barrymore has addressed this incident on social media or in the press.

Barrymore recently gave fans a peek inside her home when she was profiled in Better Home & Gardens. The 48-year-old actress lives in Manhattan not far from where this incident took place, sharing the home with her daughters Frankie and Olive. Barrymore has had run-ins with stalkers in the past, so hopefully this situation is handled swiftly.

The event was still a success as far as attendees were concerned, with one writing that it changed their life on social media. Rapp, 23, is best known for starring in the HBO Max comedy The Sex Lives of College Girls and for playing Regina George in the Broadway musical production of Mean Girls. In her interview with Barrymore, she was promoting her debut album Snow Angel, which was released on Aug. 18. It is streaming now on most major apps.