Emma Roberts nearly had a run-in with former US president Bill Clinton’s security detail as she fled paparazzi at a bookstore in New York.

The American Horror Story star, 32, was seen scooting past the former president’s Secret Service agent in a now-viral video captured by Elder Ordonez. In the clip, Roberts is seen exiting the Hamptons bookstore with two coffees in hand, wearing leopard-print biker shorts, a black tank top, a pair of brown Birkenstocks, and white sunglasses with her hair in a bun.

A Secret Service agent - dressed casually in a khaki polo shirt, grey jeans, and a matching brown baseball cap - is seen standing on the stoop outside the bookstore, while the 42nd US president browses books inside.

The We’re the Millers actor appeared to flee the bookstore, so as to avoid the flock of paparazzi following the 77-year-old politician. While exiting through the front door, she nearly ran into the Secret Service agent securing the entrance to the bookstore. Roberts appeared to mumble a few words, before she can be heard saying in the clip: “Get out of the way.”

She then ran towards her friends who are off-camera, standing in the street and laughing about the paparazzi frenzy.

The video, which was posted by celebrity photographer Ordonez on TikTok and Instagram, has since received millions of views across social media. However, many people were divided as some deemed Roberts’ interaction with Clinton’s security detail as “rude”.

“Damn she’s rude,” one Instagram user commented.

“Is she telling Secret Service to get out of the way?” another wrote.

“She just told that guy to get out of the way, so rude!” said someone else.

However, many fans rushed to her defense when they pointed out that Roberts appeared to be saying something else, before she said: “Get out of the way.”

“Pretty sure she meant ‘I’m getting out of the way’ because something was happening and she didn’t want to be in the way,” commented one fan. “This comment section has no faith.”

“I think she meant she was getting ‘out of the way’ because she knew they were taking pics of Clinton and didn’t want to be in the shot,” another noted.

“Y’all are so quick to attack her, she clearly said excuse me quietly and said let ME get out of the way,” wrote someone else, while another fan commented: “You can LITERALLY hear her say, ‘Let me get out of the way here,’ but OK go off.”

Roberts, whose aunt is Oscar-winning actor Julia Roberts, founded online book club Belletrist in 2017. The Scream Queens alum launched the subscription-based community alongside friend Karah Preiss. Since then, the two have produced two hit TV series adaptations of the books First Killand Tell Me Liesfor Netflix and Hulu, respectively, with their production company, Belletrist Productions.

Most recently, she’s set to star in season 12 of the FX series, American Horror Story. The forthcoming season, subtitled Delicate, sees Roberts alongside Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne. She joined the show - created by Glee’s Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk - as a series regular in 2013, before eventually exiting after its ninth season.

American Horror Story: Delicate will stream on Hulu in the US later this year.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Roberts for comment.

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