Empire State Building climbers kiss outside court as plea deal talks begin
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov made out near Manhattan Criminal Court after prosecutors confirmed active plea discussions over their July rooftop stunt.
ESB daredevil couple makes out outside court as prosecutors weigh plea deal
Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32 — the couple who illegally scaled the Empire State Building in July — kissed for nearly 30 seconds outside Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, moments after prosecutors disclosed that plea negotiations are underway, NY Post Metro reports.
The pair, wearing matching black leather jackets and decorative handcuffs, embraced near a hot-dog vendor on the sidewalk following their appearance before judge Beverly Tatham. Nikolau displayed her engagement ring publicly for the first time since Kuznetsov proposed to her atop the 1,454-foot Midtown landmark, more than 1,000 feet above street level.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Jessica Waldman told the court that her office is in "active plea discussions" with the defendants. The terms of any potential agreement have not been disclosed. If convicted on the current charges — which include burglary and reckless endangerment — the couple could face up to seven years in prison.
Nikolau had shared a video to her Instagram account ahead of Monday's hearing in which she wore a latex bodysuit, held a knife and licked her partner's head, describing the clip as "court prep."
According to prosecutors, the couple purchased tickets to enter the building around 9 p.m. on July 30, then concealed themselves inside overnight. Shortly after 5 a.m. the following morning they emerged through a hatch on the 102nd floor and climbed the building's broadcast antenna. They unfurled a banner reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace" — a moment captured on video by news crews and by the couple themselves.
After descending from the antenna, Kuznetsov — who uses the social media handle Ivan "Vanya" Beerkus — dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikolau, who was wearing a black cat mask.
The stunt caused an estimated $2,000 in damage and forced the building's broadcast antenna to be temporarily powered down, prosecutors have said. Nikolau and Kuznetsov were subsequently charged with burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, all felonies, along with misdemeanor counts of possession of burglary tools, trespass and criminal tampering.
The couple were the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary, "Skywalkers: A Love Story," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Their next court date is September 29.
Source: NY Post Metro