A daredevil couple rocked New York City on Wednesday with an apparent marriage proposal stunt atop the Empire State Building.
Angela Nikolau, 33, and Vanya Beerkus, 32, dressed in matching black outfits and climbed to the antenna of the 1,454-foot-tall building to hoist a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
As news choppers swirled around them, Beerkus appeared to get down on one knee. The couple shared a hug after the apparent proposal.
But the fairytale quickly came to an end as the couple was taken into custody by the New York City Police Department.
Authorities got a call at noon on Thursday about two people who climbed to the top of the Manhattan landmark, according to CNN. Units from the Midtown South precinct responded to the scene and reported broken locks on the 104th floor.
Nikolau posted an Instagram story from the top of the iconic tower shortly after they scaled it.
“Currently at the Empire State Building,” she wrote, urging her 1.1 million followers to watch a livestream.
The couple later posted a series of five images, including a photo of Nikolau touting a massive gem on her left ring finger. Another photo showed the couple intertwining their pinky fingers against the New York City skyline.
Nikolau describes herself on her Instagram page as a “neoartist exploring identity, fear & freedom.”
The couple is no stranger to daredevil stunts. In 2024, Netflix released a documentary about them titled Skywalkers: A Love Story.
The trailer features clips of the couple breaking locks and running away from security as they climb dizzying heights.
“As an artist, you need to express yourself. Now we were more than just daredevils. Now we were telling a story—a love story,” Nikolau said.
While their followers lavished praise on them on social media, conservatives appeared spooked by the move.
Fox News host Emily Compagno speculated that the stunt could be an “intentional distraction for a nefarious purpose elsewhere.”
“No girl wants to be proposed to like this except for that one,” she said. “This is not inspiring women all across the country to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, babe, yes, engage in a massively reckless criminal enterprise to show the world you love me.’ How about no?”
