Empire State Building Stunt Ends In Proposal – Arrest
Sign up for our free newsletter
Subscribe to the America Report Updates to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
A daredevil couple turned one of New York’s most famous landmarks into the scene of a high-risk Instagram stunt — and a marriage proposal. Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus, 32, allegedly climbed the antenna of the Empire State Building in Manhattan on Wednesday. Police later took them into custody. Their Empire State Building stunt unfolded 1,454 feet above Midtown — at the top of one of the most recognizable buildings on earth.
JUST IN: After two people climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner on top of its spire Wednesday afternoon, one of the climbers appeared to propose to the other. https://t.co/ngG3jOeTBU pic.twitter.com/PhubQpnRH6
— ABC News (@ABC) July 1, 2026
The pair, dressed in black, unfurled a banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” Then came the romantic twist.
As they climbed down from the spire toward a lower platform, Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed. Nikolau, wearing a black cat-style mask, accepted. Photos and videos were later posted on social media.
Police Move In
The stunt triggered a police response around the skyscraper at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. The NYPD monitored the pair from the air and the ground. Streets were temporarily affected as officers responded. The couple was taken into custody without incident after making it back down.
Authorities said charges were pending. An Empire State Building spokesperson said the unauthorized incident had been resolved with the help of the NYPD and that tenants, visitors and observation deck guests were not in danger.
Still, the stunt raised obvious security questions.
According to reports, the couple may have breached a mesh gate near the 102nd-floor public observation area to reach a restricted 103rd-floor level and then the spire.
Netflix Daredevils
Nikolau and Beerkus are not unknown thrill-seekers. The Russian rooftoppers were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before streaming on Netflix.
The film followed the couple as they prepared for one of their most dangerous stunts: breaking into Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 tower, the world’s second-tallest building, and climbing its spire.
Netflix described the documentary as built from more than 200 hours of material filmed over seven years and six countries. Their social media profiles show similar high-altitude stunts on bridges, towers and skyscrapers around the world.
Famous Quote With Wrong Credit
The banner message also had a curious backstory.
The line is widely misattributed to rock legend Jimi Hendrix. But the quote is actually linked to 19th-century British statesman William Gladstone. The couple slightly modified the wording for their stunt. It appeared to be a peace message — but critics saw mostly a reckless chase for attention.
America’s Most Famous Skyscraper
The Empire State Building opened in 1931 and remains one of New York’s defining symbols. Its roof height is 1,250 feet. Counting the spire and antenna, the tower reaches 1,454 feet.
Millions of tourists visit the observation decks each year. But the spire is not public access. That is why the stunt caused such alarm.
Climbing the Empire State Building illegally has a long history. In 1994, French climber Alain Robert — known as the “French Spider-Man” — free-climbed the skyscraper and was arrested afterward.
Actor Jared Leto also climbed part of the building in 2023, but that ascent was authorized as a publicity stunt.
Editorial Note: This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The initial draft is based on journalistic writing with the assistance of AI and the story is subsequently reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by our human editorial team to ensure accuracy and journalistic integrity.
