DUBAI: The Ukrainian prankster who ran across the Eurovision stage naked Saturday night could potentially face up to five years in prison, according to the country’s minister of internal affairs.
Prankster Vitalii Sediuk, who has a history of pulling pranks on Hollywood celebrities, streaked across the stage during a performance by reigning winner Jamala at the final in Kiev.
He wore only an Australian flag as a cape, leading many Australian social media users to express rage over fears the country would not be invited back to the singing competition.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov wrote a Facebook post slamming Sediuk.
“This is a disgrace to the country,” he said.
This is not Sediuk’s first prank, however.
In 2016, Sediuk manhandled model Gigi Hadid in Milan, after which she attempted to throw a punch at him.
Sediuk told The Hollywood Reporter he did it because he didn’t think Hadid belonged to the world of high fashion.
Then, also in 2016, Sediuk attempted to kiss Kim Kardashian’s posterior in Paris but was tackled by security guards.
Sediuk said he was protesting the use of “fake butt implants, ” in an Instagram post via the BBC.
In 2014, Sediuk lunged at Brad Pitt on a red carpet in Los Angeles.
Pitt released a statement to People magazine.
“I took a step back; this guy had latched onto my lapels. I looked down and the nutter was trying to bury his face in my crotch, so I cracked him twice in the back of the head – not too hard – but enough to get his attention, because he did let go. I think he was then just grabbing for a hand hold because the guys were on him, and he reached up and caught my glasses.”
In 2013, he took to the stage to accept Adele’s Grammy before she could make it to the podium.
He told The Hollywood Reporter it was a last-minute idea.
“So when I heard her name, I came up with this idea to go up on the stage and say what I said. … I pretended this was an award for me, and then I said, ‘Thank you, Adele. You’re my inspiration’,” he said.
