Empire State Building Climbers Arrested After Reaching Antenna, Proposed at Summit
Two people who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building's antenna on Wednesday afternoon have been taken into custody, according to the New York Police Department. The individuals, identified by a law enforcement official as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, were seen wearing masks and appeared to stage an engagement at the summit of the iconic 1,454-foot skyscraper.
Police said the pair was apprehended without incident and are currently being processed at a local precinct. Charges are pending as the investigation continues. Authorities are still trying to determine how the couple accessed a restricted area not open to the public, a law enforcement official confirmed. Two Emergency Service Unit officers climbed four ladders to reach the climbers at the top of the spire, escorting them down safely before taking them into custody.
Bodycam footage released by police captured the tense moments high above the city. “Stay where you are,” an officer can be heard saying. “How are you doing? You can’t be up here.” The woman, whose face was blurred in the video, replied, “I’m OK.”
Angela Nikolau, a known social media personality, posted photos and videos from the stunt on Instagram, including a shot of her engagement ring with the Manhattan skyline in the background. Her account features numerous posts showing Nikolau and Kuznetsov – who goes by Ivan Beerkus – posing atop various buildings and tall structures around the world. A pinned post on her page promotes “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” a 2024 Netflix documentary that the streaming service describes as following “daredevil influencers” who “risk their romance, freedom and lives to climb a mega-skyscraper.” Netflix declined to comment on Wednesday.
During the climb, the couple unfurled a banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” according to video and images from the scene. The stunt drew immediate criticism from law enforcement and security experts. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told CNN that the dangerous act put city officials, police and building owners in a “tough spot.”
“They are going to have to do whatever they can to see that these people are prosecuted for any appropriate charges because they cannot take the chance that others will see this and decide to also try it,” McCabe said. “The last thing that people who are responsible for the Empire State Building want is to turn this place into a target for that sort of activity, because ultimately it will end in some sort of tragedy. The danger here, the recklessness, is obvious and can’t be overstated.”
It remains unclear how the pair managed to reach the very top of the landmark, which transmits broadcast signals for nearly all of New York’s local TV and radio stations. Onlookers in Midtown Manhattan watched the spectacle unfold during their lunch break. Elisa Morales, who was among the crowd, told CNN: “If it is a proposal, I don’t think that’s a proposal I would want, but I commend them for using something personal to try to make a more global impact. We just had the Knicks win a championship, so a lot of craziness went on there. I think right now in New York, you have to go to an extreme to try to top what’s been going on.”
The incident raises renewed concerns about security at high-profile landmarks and the influence of social media-driven stunts. Experts say such acts not only endanger the climbers but also first responders and the public, potentially inspiring copycat attempts. The Empire State Building has implemented strict access controls since a series of high-profile climbs in the past, but the latest breach highlights ongoing vulnerabilities.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Brian Stelter, Jason Carroll, Jeff Winter, Sneha Dhandapani, David Williams, Graham Hurley and Jessica Prater contributed to this report.