The two were wearing all black with masks and appeared to be a man and a woman. The duo first appeared at the top of the building around noon and began descending around 12:45 p.m. They were reportedly taken into custody after they climbed down.

The event appeared to be a proposal, with the man getting on one knee while they were on a platform connected to the building’s antenna.

The two trespassers soon identified themselves as Russians Ivan Beerkus, 32, and Angela Nikolau, 33, though officials haven’t released their names. The two artists have made a name for themselves scaling the tallest structures in the world, then kissing at the top. They have a large social media following — Beerkus has over 400,000 followers on Instagram, and Nikolau has over 1.1 million.

They posted about the scaling of the Empire State Building as it was happening. Nikolau posted a video showing her view from the top on her Instagram story, captioned, “Currently at the Empire State Building, you can watch on the city webcam.”

A documentary about the couple, Skywalkers: A Love Story, debuted on Netflix in 2024 to positive reviews and significant attention. Their scaling of buildings and structures around the world is usually illegal and has gotten them in trouble with the law previously. The climbs are usually unsecured.

The two were born in Moscow but now reside in New York.

The building is about 1,454 feet tall and is the fourth-tallest building in the city.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to the New York City Police Department.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.