huffpost Press
Backstreet Boy, Local Man Trade Homophobic Insults In Beach Dispute: Video
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Video of Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell caught in a heated back-and-forth with a beachgoer near his property is going viral amid the singer’s yearslong battle with locals over who is allowed to have access to the shoreline. The video came to light after Littrell submitted the footage to police as evidence against a man identified as Kyle Gallagher in police records obtained by HuffPost. While the ’90s heartthrob sought to have Gallagher charged with battery for the March 22 altercation, prosecutors in Walton County, Florida, declined to press charges, determining that Gallagher had displayed no criminal intent during the confrontation. In the unedited recording reviewed by HuffPost, Littrell approaches Gallagher, who is sitting on the shoreline, and appears to shove his phone in the beachgoer’s face. Gallagher seems startled and reacts by throwing his arms out before apologizing. “What the fuck, dude?” Littrell asks. “You cannot be putting that shit in my face, bro,” Gallagher replies. “Don’t test me,” Littrell fires back. As the two continue to argue, Gallagher pulls out his own phone and begins to ridicule Littrell, saying, “Look at this gay shit. Look at this shit, bro.” Gallagher tells Littrell he’s lived in the same area for 20 years and alludes to an ongoing legal battle with another local over public access to the shoreline of Littrell’s property. At that point in the exchange, Littrell turns the camera around to show his face and says, “This is what I deal with, people like this.” Things continue to escalate as Gallagher tells Littrell, “You’re lucky I didn’t knock you the fuck out ... you’re fucked, bro, you bought a house next to [public] property.” As the pair continue to squabble and curse about who instigated things, uncensored video obtained by HuffPost shows Littrell asking Gallagher, “You want to be gay? You wanna be a pussy?” Several other outlets erroneously reported he hurled the homophobic slur “faggot” at Gallagher. Gallagher responds to Littrell’s insults with laughter and moments later taunts him by saying, “You’re a fucking Backstreet Boy.” The dispute continues to drag on as they bicker over whether Gallagher was trespassing on Littrell’s property or allowed access based on a local statute that permits public access to privately owned beaches “up to 20 feet landward from the wet/dry sand line.” “We all been here for 20 years, you’ve been here for three ... You’re done for, bro,” Gallagher says. “You’re not gonna get privacy. You’ll never get privacy here.” “I can’t wait ’til this gets out,” Littrell then says of the video. Following the altercation, Littrell called 911 and subsequently submitted a legal affidavit claiming Gallagher had struck his hand and was disturbing the peace. Police later questioned Gallagher, who told them he had simply acted on “reflex” after Littrell “startled” him by thrusting his phone in his face. After reviewing the evidence, Walton County’s Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Josh Mitchell opted against arresting Gallagher, a decision Littrell’s attorney Peter Ticktin called a miscarriage of justice. “Littrell was assaulted by a hostile beach protester,” Ticktin told local outlet WMBB. “A report was made to the feckless sheriff’s office. The assault was awful enough, but the fact that the sheriff’s office is not enforcing the law makes our whole community one of greater danger.” Littrell’s Santa Rosa Beach property has been a source of strife since he purchased it for $3.8 million in 2023. Last July, the singer sued the local sheriff’s department, accusing law enforcement of failing to protect his family from “numerous trespassers” intending “to antagonize, bully and harass” them. In February, courts dismissed a separate civil complaint the pop star had filed against another local resident whom he’s accused of trespassing and stalking. Littrell submitted an amended complaint shortly afterward, and a court decision on that is still pending, according to records reviewed by People magazine. Littrell has claimed the disputes and lawsuits have resulted in death threats against his family as well as threats of arson, telling Fox News last month, “They’ve talked about bringing guns ... They want to spray us with mace. They want to punch my teeth out, you know, it’s like, it’s crazy.” By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.