Dalia Ibelhauptaitė Recalled Pulling Fan’s Hair

“I just got so mad, because I almost tripped, that I grabbed that ponytail and gave it a jerk. Then I walked on,” Dalia Ibelhauptaitė recalled.

Opera director and producer Dalia Ibelhauptaitė recounted a long-past encounter on Arūnas Valinskas’s podcast Akis į akį, describing how a stranger physically lunged at her husband, Dexter Fletcher, on a street.

Meeting the Teenage Icon on the Street

The incident took place early in their relationship before Ibelhauptaitė fully understood the immense public recognition Fletcher commanded, particularly among British audiences. Fletcher remains a youth icon for many in the United Kingdom due to his role in a popular television series about journalists and a newspaper office.

“It happened a very long time ago. I think we weren’t married yet or had just gotten married,” Ibelhauptaitė said on the podcast. She noted that even four decades later, journalists and passersby frequently approach Fletcher to tell him they became journalists because of him.

On the day of the encounter, the couple was walking down the street engaged in a serious conversation when an unknown woman suddenly blocked their path and fell on Fletcher. The stranger’s hair was tied in a ponytail.

“Imagine from my perspective: I’m walking, talking, and suddenly that ponytail flies right in front of my eyes. I didn’t even see her face, just that flying ponytail,” she said. Reacting instantly to the obstruction, she grabbed the hair and pulled it before walking away.

Diverging Reactions to Fan Culture

Ibelhauptaitė acknowledged that repeating such an action today would likely draw a different public reaction, though she maintained she merely pulled the woman and walked on. Fletcher attempted to explain to his wife that such fan behavior should be accepted more understandingly.

“Dexter walked with me and explained that these are his fans, that we can’t behave like that,” Ibelhauptaitė stated. “And I said that we certainly can, because there has to be some boundary. A person must have the ability to walk down the street in peace and talk about private matters.”

Marking the End of an Era for Bohemiečiai

The recollection coincided with a major milestone for Ibelhauptaitė’s opera troupe, the Bohemiečiai. Returning to Lithuania to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the troupe she created, Ibelhauptaitė spoke about the troupe’s journey.

“Every generation must have its own ‘Boheme,’ so we are putting a period,” she said, reflecting on the two-decade run that challenged traditional opera standards. The opera La Boheme will be staged for the final time on December 22 at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.