UPDATE: George Lopez Fires Back at Tribal Casino Where He Cut Show Short

UPDATE: George Lopez has fired back at the Eagle Mountain Casino, releasing the following statement through a spokesperson:

“It’s the venue or casino’s job to provide a good experience for both the artist and the fans, but the casino failed in this regard. The audience was overserved and unruly, and the casino staff was unable to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for the artist and guests.”

Ultimately, the casino granted all ticket-buyers a full refund, but not before the casino had the last word…

“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,” it said in a statement.

EARLIER: George Lopez is under fire for cutting his show at California’s Eagle Mountain Casino a half-hour short on Friday, June 7. But what’s unique about this controversy is that the casino is just as pissed off at the comedian as his audience is.

“Tonight, George Lopez let down his fans and sold out audience by walking out and ending his show 30 minutes early,” the Porterville, Calif. casino posted on its Facebook page Friday night. “We never want to let our guests down and we are as disappointed and shocked as you are.”

According to the casino, and eyewitness videos shot in the aftermath of the truncated show, Lopez walked out in frustration over being heckled.

One Instagram video begins with Lopez saying,  “See you next time, Porterville,” and then exiting stage left, at which point the narrator explains, “George Lopez walked off the stage because people were talking back and saying stuff and we had been warned. We’ve got to pay the price for other people acting stupid. They should give us our money back. It’s not our fault they were acting stupid.”

The casino explained in its post that Lopez “hired his own private security that could have easily escorted any heckler out.” In addition, the post said, the casino met with Lopez preshow to put a plan in place for dealing with hecklers.

“He could have provided us an opportunity to allow our security and team to escort any hecklers out since his own private security did not,” the casino wrote.

The casino and Lopez were already off to a rocky start because, according to the casino, it had already helped Lopez reschedule the show from April 20, when he canceled due to a medical emergency.

“We were very patient with him and only wished him the best,” the casino wrote, adding, “Tonight, we went above and beyond to provide George with first-class service from his arrival to the property to the start of the show.”

About the Casino

Eagle Mountain Casino is a full-service casino operated by the Tule River Indian Tribe of California, which relocated its smaller original casino off the reservation and reopened it in May 2023 in Porterville, a town of about 60K located halfway between Fresno and Bakersfield just west of the Sequoia National Forest.

In addition to the 1,700-seat theater where Lopez performed, the property features 1,750 slot machines and 20 table games in 100,000 square feet of gaming space.