Daredevil Couple From Netflix Documentary Takes Love Sky-High in Empire State Building Stunt
The Empire State Building proposal stunt went down on Wednesday, and it was absolutely bonkers in every possible way. Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, the daredevil couple who star in the Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” decided to climb all the way to the top of the spire like they were auditioning for a “Spider-Man” reboot. Why would anyone think scaling one of the most famous buildings in the world with zero safety gear was a good idea for a romantic gesture?
Daredevil Couple Earns Netflix Sequel
The pair unfurled a massive pro-peace banner that read “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace,” which is either deeply profound or something they found on a motivational poster. After the banner moment, they descended to a lower platform where Beerkus dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikolau in front of absolutely nobody except security cameras. The daredevil couple clearly has a flair for the dramatic, and she reportedly said yes, because apparently near-death experiences are the new candlelit dinners.
This whole escapade was completely separate from their Netflix documentary, which makes it even wilder because they just decided to do this for fun on a random Wednesday. The documentary follows the daredevil couple as they “test the limits of their love and trust by illegally scaling one of the world’s tallest buildings to perform an acrobatic stunt,” so clearly this is just another Tuesday for them. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem was not impressed and called the act “performative” and “egregious,” adding that the daredevil couple would absolutely “end up in jail” for their troubles.
Is climbing the Empire State Building really worth the potential prison time, or is love just that powerful a motivator? The daredevil couple probably thought they were making a profound statement about peace and love, but everyone else just saw two people risking their lives for a social media moment. Police officers were waiting for them at the bottom and promptly placed them into custody, because apparently trespassing on national landmarks is frowned upon.
Empire State Building Keeps Its Cool
The Empire State Building itself issued a surprisingly chill statement saying there was no danger to tenants or visitors, which is generous considering two lunatics were climbing their spire like mountain goats. They also noted that the Observation Deck “does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals,” which sounds like a subtle dig at the couple’s chosen method of popping the question.
The statement was basically the building’s way of saying, “We have a perfectly good observation deck for this sort of thing, you absolute maniacs.” Could the Empire State Building actually be low-key endorsing this behavior by acknowledging the proposal aspect with such a straight face?
The daredevil couple probably thought they were being romantic pioneers, but the building just saw them as two people who really should have just booked a ticket like everyone else. At least nobody got hurt, which is honestly a miracle given the heights involved and the complete lack of safety equipment.
Love Conquers All, Except Jail Time
The daredevil couple’s banner message about love beating the love of power is pretty ironic considering they were immediately arrested and hauled off by police after their little adventure. Their grand gesture of peace and love ended with handcuffs and a police car, which is not exactly the romantic ending they probably envisioned.
The Netflix documentary might have glorified their previous stunts, but this time the authorities were not in the mood for artistic expression or relationship milestones. What does it say about your relationship when your engagement story comes with a police report and a court summons?
That’s one heck of an icebreaker for the next family Thanksgiving dinner. Right about now, those two thrill-seekers are likely staring at gray walls in a holding cell, questioning whether that shiny ring was really worth the matching set of handcuffs. At least they’ll have a hell of a story to tell their grandchildren, assuming they don’t end up with a permanent ban from every tall building in New York.
Stunt Goes Wrong, Love Still Wins
Despite the arrest and the general chaos of the situation, Nikolau did say yes to Beerkus, so technically the mission was a success in the most important department. The daredevil couple proved that they’re willing to go to extreme lengths for each other, even if those lengths involve felony trespassing and potential jail time.
Their stunt was performative and egotistical according to critics, but you can’t deny it took some serious guts to pull off. Is this the most ridiculous marriage proposal in history, or does it at least deserve an honorable mention for sheer audacity?
The daredevil couple might be facing legal consequences, but they also got a marriage proposal that nobody will ever forget, including the police officers who arrested them. The Empire State Building will probably install extra security cameras after this, but for one brief moment, love literally conquered the tallest building in New York.
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