Even though Lauren Boebert had raised eyebrows with inappropriate outfits and comments in the past, it was her behavior on a date that made headline news. Boebert’s most controversial moment came when she went to see a live performance of “Beetlejuice” at the Buell Theater in Denver on September 12, 2023. The member of Colorado’s House of Representatives was kicked out of the theater for lewd and inappropriate behavior with her boyfriend, Quinn Gallagher. Boebert was “vaping, singing [and] causing a disturbance,” as a report from the Buell indicated. At the time, the politician acted indignant to staff.
After being ejected, Boebert tried to downplay the incident with a cheeky post on X, formerly Twitter. “I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theatre and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud!” she tweeted on September 12, 2023. The incident went viral as surveillance footage from inside the venue showed her not only vaping inside, using flash photography, and being a general nuisance to other members of the audience — but also showed Boebert groping her beau when the lights were down.
By September 15, 2023, Boebert changed her tone and issued an apology. “I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the night’s events with my campaign manager. We do understand the nature of how this looks,” she said in a statement, per the Associated Press. Boebert tried to downplay her relationship with the man she was seen getting handsy with, but more info about their relationship status came to light.
She had been dating the man for months
Less than a week after Lauren Boebert was kicked out of the Buell Theater for her inappropriate behavior with her date, the politician downplayed her relationship with Quinn Gallagher. “All future date nights have been cancelled and I learned to check party affiliations before you go on a date,” she told TMZ on September 18, 2023. The “party affiliation” comment was a reference to Gallagher reportedly being a Democrat. “He’s a wonderful man, and it was, it was a great time to go out, have dinner, and enjoy part of a show, and yeah, now it’s back to work,” Boebert added. The Republican made it sound as if the “Beetlejuice” outing with Gallagher was a one-off, but they had been dating for quite some time before that fateful night.
Gallagher owns Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, and a drag performer at the venue told TMZ on September 21, 2023, that Boebert had frequented the bar with Gallagher for several months. The following day, Gallagher kept his lips sealed about their relationship status. “I’m sorry I’m not in a position to say anything about that,” he told the Daily Mail. Apparently, their political affiliations were a point of contention. “His parents would be horrified because they are definitely blue,” a source told the outlet.
To further complicate the matter, Politico revealed that Boebert had spent over $317 at Gallagher’s bar in July 2023 and claimed it as a campaign expense. All of this took place as Boebert was going through a divorce.
Lauren Boebert’s fallout with her ex
Days after Lauren Boebert made headlines for her scandalous theater antics, her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, came to her defense in a lengthy Facebook post. “I feel the people should know the truth of our broken marriage and burden she has carried for too long,” he wrote on September 18, 2023. Jayson also explained he and Lauren had split because he was unfaithful. “Her unwavering commitment to our family has been truly admirable, and I am devastated by the pain I have caused her,” Jayson wrote in the emotional post. He even attempted to fall on the sword for Lauren’s inappropriate behavior at the Buell Theater. “In part, this is my fault and you don’t deserve this,” Jayson wrote.
At the time of Jayson’s writing their divorce was still being processed, but it was finalized the following month in October 2023. Despite Jayson’s pleading words, the former couple did not stay on good terms. In February, Lauren hit her ex with a restraining order, and claimed that he had entered her home without permission. Meanwhile, Jayson publicly debated his ex-wife’s side of the story and said that he had simply texted with Lauren on the day in question. According to Jayson, she had asked about borrowing his trailer. “In my response, I mentioned that the trailer was too much for her boyfriend, and I also requested that her Aspen boyfriend and one of her staff not be on the property,” he told Newsweek. The “Aspen boyfriend” Jayson referred to was likely Quinn Gallagher.
