Cheryl Burke Says Ryan Lochte Was Injured During 'DWTS' Incident
Burke said his ankle was hurt during the protest.
— -- Cheryl Burke has offered new thoughts on the bizarre incident that took place on the season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" Monday night, when two protesters rushed the dance floor after her performance with her celebrity partner, Ryan Lochte.
Burke posted a statement on Instagram Tuesday afternoon, saying she is "still trying to process" what happened.
"My heart is aching for Ryan and his family," she wrote. "No one deserves that sort of behavior directed at them. We all need to love each other and not be bullies or cowards. Let's all just be positive for each other."
Burke then thanked the show's security team for handling the matter.
In a blog post for People magazine, Burke revealed Lochte "did injure his ankle a little when the protester got tackled, so we'll have to see how our first rehearsal goes."
The two protesters, Sam Sotoodeh and Barzeen Soroudi, were released from jail Tuesday after their arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing.
During the previous night's broadcast, the protesters interrupted judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of Lochte's and Burke's performance, screaming "liar" at the swimmer.
Lochte and three swimming teammates claimed they were held up at gunpoint during the Rio Summer Olympics. Lochte later admitted that he "overexaggerated" the story.