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Empire State Building Skywalkers Released From Jail, New Court Date Set
Deadline • • general
Key Points:
- Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, featured in Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, were arrested after climbing the Empire State Building for a public engagement stunt and were granted supervised release pending their next court date on August 24.
- The couple faced charges including reckless endangerment, burglary, and criminal mischief but did not enter a plea during their arraignment; their lawyer claimed the district attorney’s office “overcharged” them.
- The stunt, which involved carrying a banner with a peace-related quote attributed to Jimi Hendrix, was not officially connected to the Netflix documentary or filmed for the show, though Netflix promoted the film following the event.
- Authorities are investigating how the couple accessed the Empire State Building, with speculation they used a worker entrance to bypass security screening.
- Skywalkers: A Love Story, directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina, follows the couple’s illegal rooftop climbs and premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
