Man who verbally accosted Drew Barrymore, Reneé Rapp on stage allegedly stalked Amber Heard

An online investigation done by The Daily Beast revealed the man's colorful criminal and internet history

By Joy Saha

Staff Writer

Published August 23, 2023 3:13PM (EDT)

Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Drew Barrymore attends the 2023 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

The man who verbally accosted Drew Barrymore and Reneé Rapp on stage at the 92nd Street Y in New York City reportedly has a history with female celebrities, per an online investigation conducted by The Daily Beast. The incident took place Monday when Barrymore was leading a conversation with Rapp, the star of Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls," about her latest album. Video footage from the event showed the man, who goes by the name Chad Michael Busto, screaming Barrymore's name mid-interview before approaching her and shouting, "You know who I am. I need to see you at some point while you're in New York." Barrymore was then quickly escorted off the stage by Rapp.  

A closer look at Busto's internet presence and criminal records revealed that in addition to allegedly stalking Barrymore, he once joined an online forum devoted to a discussion related to Amber Heard. Busto was subsequently banned from the group for "sexual harassment," "threats" and "stalking," according to an account posted by one of the forum's administrators.

However, that didn't stop Busto's continued interest in Heard. In the last few months, he began using X (formerly known as Twitter) to propose marriage to Heard and send her messages. "I am still waiting for a reply," he told people at a Walmart about his proposal. "I would like everybody's best wishes." In another video posted in July, he addressed Heard directly, saying, "I hope we are going to see each other soon. And I love you very much."

After Busto was removed from the venue, Barrymore praised Rapp's quick thinking on stage, saying, "Well, I have a new definition of your sexiness — it's that level of protectiveness. That went full 'Bodyguard.' You are my Kevin Costner!"


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