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Gatecrasher couple demand apology from White House

May 19, 2010 17:54 IST

The infamous Salahi couple -- who gate-crashed into the first State Dinner hosted by United States President Barack Obama for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by dodging the Secret Service -- have demanded an apology from the White House for not being a 'gracious' host.

Tareq and Michaele Salahi say they've been the target of pranks and death threats following the security scandal, in which the pair was admitted without an invitation to a soiree for the prime minister on November 24, 2009.

"It would be nice if somebody apologised to us and for (the White House) to call it quits," Tareq Salahi told Radar Online. "I would certainly not treat anyone this way that comes to my house, even if there was a question about an invitation, or there was some miscommunication ... I would still welcome anyone and be gracious."

"The American way is to love people," added Michaele.

The Congressional investigation into the party crashing -- which cost White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers her job -- brought the couple a firestorm of negative attention, Tareq said. In one incident, Michelle received a package at their Virginia home containing a used condom.

"It is a totally different life now and is really impossible to describe," Tareq Salahi told Radar.

While President Obama has said the Salahis "should not have gotten through the gate," the pair maintains they were extended an invite to the dinner.

"Without a doubt, there is no question that we were extended an invitation. Nobody realised this but we were asked for our social security number, our date of birth, our full legal name and our citizenship for clearance for the White House state dinner. Not for a breakfast. Not for a VIP tour. Not for a luncheon. Specifically, in writing, for the White House state dinner evening activities. Nobody knows that and nobody has bothered to ask us about that, except for the Secret Service investigation," Tareq told Radar.

The Salahis also confirmed that they are taking part in the upcoming Bravo reality show 'Real Housewives of DC', but said the state dinner wasn't a stunt to get a slot in the auditions for the show. They had already been cast at the time of the incident, and filming had been underway for some time, they told Radar.

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