Russian-American prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, infamous for his outlandish web stunts, now faces the possibility of spending as much as 24 years in a Philippine jail after his arrest on April 2. If convicted, the web star could be stuck in prison deep into his late 50s, reports Daily Mail.
Vitaly, who gained fame for pulling high-profile pranks such as streaking at the NBA Finals, climbing the Hollywood sign, and invading the 2022 World Cup, might have finally gone too far.
His latest livestream on Kick, recorded in the upscale Bonifacio Global City in Manila, allegedly entailed a number of serious violations. During the broadcast, he supposedly harassed security officers, tried to kiss one guard, tried to take a gun from another, and filmed content without acquiring the appropriate permits.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla provided a firm recap of the incident at a press briefing:
“Vitaly committed several inappropriate and disruptive actions, such as trying to kiss and hug him (the security guard), attempting to grab his service gun, taking pictures of him without permission, mocking other security personnel, and vlogging without a permit in BGC.”
Various Laws, Strict Penalties
Although Vitaly has had legal issues in the past—five days in an Egyptian prison for scaling the Pyramids of Giza, for example—he frequently escaped similar run-ins in the United States with little more than a fine or a short detention. The Philippines, however, has strict laws against public disturbance, harassment, and particularly against trying to disarm an officer.
To date, no court date has been scheduled, and with the possibility of a 24-year prison sentence, Zdorovetskiy’s future is extremely uncertain.
Could Russia Intervene?
Although Russian-born, Vitaly has resided in the United States since age 14 and is a dual citizen. That dual citizenship might actually hinder any attempts by Moscow to intervene on his behalf.
Russia has in the past demonstrated a keen desire to defend its nationals abroad, even in sensitive cases, like the prisoner exchange of basketball star Brittney Griner and defending RT journalists held abroad. Yet, Zdorovovetskiy’s case does not have a political component, so it is less likely to garner diplomatic interest.
As one commentator wrote, the prankster ‘may have finally out-pranked himself’.
Will the U.S. Get Involved?
In spite of the Philippines’ long history of close relations with the United States, it’s doubtful that Washington will actively push for Zdorovetskiy’s release. Because of the nature of his offense and the hardline stance of the Philippine government, both Moscow and Washington might decide to sit this one out.
For the time being, Vitaly’s prank persona is no shield against a potential multi-decade sentence — and the stakes have never been higher.
