The thrill-seeking couple accused of climbing the Empire State Building appeared upbeat outside Manhattan court Monday, sharing an intense public kiss after prosecutors said a plea agreement may be on the table.
Angela Nikolau, 33, and her fiancé, Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, were seen embracing and kissing near a hot-dog cart after their appearance in Manhattan Criminal Court, where they are facing felony charges tied to their viral Instagram engagement stunt in July.
Wearing decorative handcuffs, the pair wrapped their arms around each other and kissed for roughly half a minute as Nikolau showed off her engagement ring publicly for the first time since Kuznetsov proposed atop the iconic Manhattan skyscraper, more than 1,000 feet above the city.
Before Monday’s court date, Nikolau also posted an unusual video on Instagram showing herself in a latex bodysuit holding a knife while licking Kuznetsov’s head, describing the clip as her version of “court prep.”
For the hearing, the couple arrived in black leather jackets and jeans, holding hands as they stood behind their attorneys before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Beverly Tatham.
During the proceeding, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Jessica Waldman told the court that prosecutors are in “active plea discussions” with Nikolau and Kuznetsov.
The possible terms of any plea deal have not been disclosed. If convicted on the current charges, which include burglary and reckless endangerment, the couple could face up to seven years in prison.
Prosecutors have said the climb caused about $2,000 in damage and forced officials to shut down the Empire State Building’s broadcast antenna after the pair scaled the New York City landmark last month.
The duo had purchased tickets to visit the 1,454-foot Midtown building around 9 p.m. July 30 before hiding out there overnight — then emerged from a hatch on its 102nd floor around 5 a.m. the next day, sources have said.
That’s when they began scrambling up the building’s antenna and unfurled a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” a moment captured on video by news stations and the couple themselves.
After climbing down from the antenna, Kuzentsov — who goes by Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus on social media — dropped to one knee and proposed to Nikoula who donned a black cat mask.
Nikoulau and Kuznetsov were hit with burglary, reckless-endangerment and criminal-mischief charges, all felonies, in addition to misdemeanor counts of possession of burglary tools, trespass and criminal tampering.
The couple were the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary, “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that year.
They’re due back in court on Sept. 29.
