PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Attendees of a recent George Lopez show in California are getting full reimbursement as an apology after the comedian walked out 30 minutes early during his set Friday evening.
Eagle Mountain Casino staff say Lopez “let down his fans” when the show unexpectedly ended early.
“Once Lopez walked to his dressing room, he nor his team offered an apology to the casino team or guests nor any explanation as to why Mr. Lopez did not want to continue and left 15 minutes later and was transported back to Porterville airport by Eagle Mountain Casino transportation,” the casino said in a statement Sunday.
In a social media post addressing the incident, the casino’s statement suggested Lopez’s departure was due to hecklers, adding that there were opportunities for his team to escort anyone out.
In a statement provided to TMZ, George Lopez’s team responded by saying the casino failed to provide a good experience for both the artist and the fans, describing the audience as overserved and unruly, and adding that the casino staff was unable to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for the artist and guests.
“George’s personal security team worked with the venue security staff to maintain order, ensure safety, and eject disruptive individuals. Unfortunately, the casino security team was not adequate to accomplish this task,” the statement read. “George is not obligated to perform in an unsafe environment. He feels badly that those who came to see the show were unable to do so as a result.”
Eagle Mountain Casino contested the claims.
“It was the job of Lopez private security team to inform casino security if they wanted to escort anyone out which never occurred. Under the casino’s discretion no guests were unruly or providing an unsafe environment,” Eagle Mountain added.
Officials say his walkout came as a shock considering the two comedians who opened before him did not highlight any concerns or issues.
“While we did see guests yelling out, we see recordings showing those saying, ‘We love you. Can we buy you a drink,’ etc.,” said Assistant General Manager of Eagle Mountain Casino Tiffani Sahagun.
Eagle Mountain said the casino will offer all attendees a full reimbursement of their Lopez tickets and free tickets of equal or lesser value to any future 2024 show at the casino.
As part of their statement, casino staff said they went above and beyond throughout their experience with the comedian to accommodate him from the cancellation of a show in April for a medical emergency to his escort to the airport Friday evening.
“Now, for a second time, the comedian is causing the casino to once again accommodate guests by reimbursing show tickets and going above and beyond to ensure guests know the casino values their business and only wants to provide a positive experience while visiting,” Eagle Mountain Casino staff said.
Eagle Mountain Casino says attendees can fill out a refund request through their website.