A 43-year-old man has been arrested and charged with stalking Drew Barrymore just days after he made an unsettling appearance at an event hosted by the “Never Been Kissed” actor.
Chad Michael Busto, of Washington, D.C., was taken into custody early Thursday and hit with a misdemeanor charge of stalking in the fourth degree. Police in Southampton, New York, said in a news release that Busto was spotted the previous day riding a bicycle down private driveways in the village of Sagaponack — where Barrymore owns a home — and telling people that he was looking for her residence.
On Friday, Busto pleaded not guilty to the charge, telling News 12 Long Island: “I believe we have a connection in our past and I met her after [the music festival] Lollapalooza at her hotel in 2007. I’ve seen her in multiple locations and I thought we had a history.”
According to the outlet, Busto was released without bail and will wear a tracking device for 60 days. He was also ordered to stay away from Barrymore.
A representative for Barrymore did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Busto’s arrest comes just days after he crashed Barrymore’s onstage interview with actor and singer Reneé Rapp.
Footage of the event, which took place Monday at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, shows Busto shouting Barrymore’s name and approaching the stage.
“You know who I am,” he says, after introducing himself as Busto. “I need to see you at some point while I’m here in New York.”
At that point, Rapp escorts Barrymore backstage as security workers intervene.
Journalist McKenzie Morrell, who attended the 92nd Street Y event, said it continued without a hitch after that point.
“It was such an amazing time despite the alarming hiccup in the beginning,” Morrell tweeted. “Both [Rapp and Barrymore] handled it like bosses, and recovered quickly to continue an awesome conversation.”
