Daredevil Couple arrested after scaling New York’s Empire State Building antenna for marriage proposal

Friday, July 3, 2026 - The daredevils who got engaged atop the Empire State Building’s antenna were released Wednesday after getting hit with a slew of charges for the Instagram stunt.

Angela Nikolau, 33, and her partner Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, stood together in Manhattan Criminal Court nearly a day after he dropped on one knee more than 1,000 feet in the air.

During the appearance, she did not wear her engagement ring. Defense attorney Jason Krinsky defended the action as a message of love, adding that since she did not say no, credit had to be given to him.

Law enforcement sources reported that the couple purchased tickets Tuesday at 9 p.m. and likely hid at the Midtown landmark overnight. Surveillance video showed them emerging from a hatch on the 102nd floor at roughly 5 a.m. the next morning. Sources stated that Kuznetsov then used tools to loosen brackets for metal cables stretching across a stairwell, which the couple then entered.

The pair were hit with burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief charges, all of which are felonies, in addition to misdemeanor counts of possession of burglary tools, trespass, and criminal tampering.

Krinsky argued that prosecutors overcharged the couple and contended there was no evidence of burglary tools. The attorney further claimed that even the management of the Empire State Building confirmed there was no risk to tenants, guests on the observation deck, or anyone else inside the building.