A couple who illegally scaled the spire of New York’s Empire State Building on Wednesday have identified themselves as Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, who starred in Netflix’s 2024 documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” according to Variety and Deadline. The two were shown on local and national news coverage after police responded to the stunt, which drew significant attention while the pair appeared to film themselves near the top and discussed an apparent engagement.
Both outlets report that the couple publicly connected the stunt to their identities from the documentary. However, Deadline adds that the climb is not part of Netflix’s “Skywalkers” doc series, suggesting it is separate from the production. The reporting also indicates the incident involved unlawful entry onto the building’s exterior and prompted police action.
Overall, the accounts agree on who the climbers say they are and that the stunt occurred at the Empire State Building’s summit area, but they differ on how the incident is framed in relation to Netflix, with one emphasizing the documentary connection and the other clarifying it is not an official series activity.
