Drew Barrymore's Alleged Stalker Arrested Outside Her Home Days After On Stage Incident

Two days earlier the man rushed the stage during a New York event featuring Barrymore.

By Ashley Turner

A man has been taken into custody near Drew Barrymore's Southampton, New York, home just two days after he rushed the stage at her event in New York City. It has been confirmed by Southampton Town Public Information Officer Lieutenant Todd Spencer to E! News that a man identified as Chad Michael Busto was near Barrymore's residence on Aug. 23, but was not on the premises when police approached him. Despite being detained, Spencer said the man had not been arrested, adding that an investigation is underway. The incident occurred after the man loudly interrupted Barrymore's conversation with Reneé Rapp at The 92nd Street Y.

On social media, footage from the Aug. 21 event can be seen, in which the man who identified himself as Chad Michael Busto is heard yelling Barrymore's name as he approaches the stage, prompting her to respond, "Oh my god, yes, hi!" In the video, Barrymore is shown stopping mid-sentence when she hears shouting out in the crowd. Rapp is tense as he sees the man walking towards the stage, first standing up straight and then getting out of her chair, reaching out to Barrymore. In the absence of further communication, the two followed one security guard out of the stage while others intercepted the man rushing the stage. The venue later posted on its social media pages that the event had been able to continue as planned once the man had been removed.

According to a report by Unilad, the man's shouting has been transcribed. After apparently calling Barrymore by name, the man said: "Chad Michael Busto." He said: "You know who I am. I need to see you at some point while you're in New York." Security ejected the man from the building as the crowd sat in stunned silence. A journalist who witnessed this interaction, McKenzie Morrell, told E! News on Aug. 22 that audience members initially thought the interaction was part of a skit since Barrymore had been friendly when interacting with him. However, she noted that the event took a frightening turn when the man claimed that Drew knew him, emphasizing that he needs to see her at some point while he's in NYC."

Fortunately, those around the talk show host intervened quickly. "Almost instantaneously," she recalled, "security guards swarmed him while Reneé ushered Drew off stage within seconds of the ordeal." Morrell described the audience as "pretty distraught," as they "weren't sure what had happened and what this man's intentions were." According to Morrell, Barrymore and Rapp nevertheless returned to the stage within a few minutes of his departure and continued to have a lively conversation despite his "aggressive interruption." "People were definitely shaken up," she added, "but both ladies made the night memorable for all the right reasons."

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