Drew Barrymore praises Reneé Rapp for being a protector after audience member encounter

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Drew Barrymore has a new protector.

The actress and daytime TV host was at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on Monday for a conversation with singer Reneé Rapp when a man yelled out Barrymore’s name, appearing to startle her.

As the man approached the stage, security headed towards him as Rapp put her arm around Barrymore and escorted her backstage, as seen in video widely shared on social media.

Afterward, Barrymore and Rapp returned to the stage as people in the audience applauded.

“Well, I have a new definition of your sexiness, it’s that level of protectiveness,” Barrymore said to Rapp. “That went full ‘Bodyguard.’”

Barrymore than left her chair to embrace Rapp before adding, “You’re my Kevin Costner!” to which Rapp, after laughing, responded, “I’ll be that.”

Costner played a bodyguard hired to protect Whitney Houston’s character from a stalker in the 1992 feature film, “The Bodyguard.”

CNN has reached out to representatives for Barrymore and Rapp for comment.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.