The man who tried to accept a Grammy Award on Adele’s behalf at the start of the ceremonies Sunday night in L.A., is speaking out after being released from jail for pulling the stunt. Ukrainian TV journalist and “celebrity prankster” Vitalii Sediuk managed to infiltrate the heightened security of the 55th Grammy Awards, and attempted to pull a prank by storming the stage and accepting Adele’s award, but was thwarted by none other than presenter Jennifer Lopez. Vitalii Sediuk is the same guy who made headlines in May for kissing Will Smith on the red carpet at the Moscow premiere of “Men in Black 3”, receiving a shove and a slap from the actor, according to Digital Spy today.
“My purpose is to entertain and to show a different emotion of celebrities. I'm not a crazy guy. I just think differently”, Sediuk explained to the Hollywood Reporter after being released from jail Monday.
Vitalii explained that he gained access to the event through friends who had tickets. “They didn’t check how many we had, so I was let in. First I went to the media line and interviewed quite a few celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman.
“Then I just followed one girl in a green dress through the [Staples Center] gates. They checked my pockets but never asked to see a ticket. Only once I was inside the building did I realize, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s Katy Perry!’”, Sediuk said.
Vitalii grabbed an empty seat belonging to Adam Levine in the second row, surrounded by A-listers like Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Sting. He claims his stunt wasn’t planned, but was just a spur of the moment instinct.
Claiming Adele as his favorite artist, Sediuk said he wanted to pretend to accept the award for her, and then thank her and tell her she’s his inspiration. It all happened so quickly that security and bodyguards failed to react.
But co-presenter Jennifer Lopez didn’t miss a beat. She was initially surprised by the stunt, but remained composed, and handled the situation adeptly, blocking Sediuk’s way to the podium and gesturing him offstage.
See a clip of the incident, which went unnoticed by most during the broadcast, by clicking the video clip on the left of this article.
According to the Reporter, Vitalii was detained backstage by security, and then arrested and charged with trespassing. He spent the night in jail and was released Monday morning pending a March court date.
This prank is giving some pause, considering the heightened level of security and police presence at this year's Grammy ceremony, as the L.A. Police Department continue their search for fugitive ex-cop and killer Christopher Dorner.
As for his crime, Sediuk accepts his punishment but insists that while his actions can sometimes “be rude”, his antics are for the most part harmless and well-intentioned.
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