Two influencers who filmed themselves posing in bikinis outside the Eiffel Tower have divided opinion online.
Brazilian influencers Gabriela Versiani, 24, and Gabily, 27, took part in the stunt in Paris, France, to promote their bikini line on 31 October 2022.
They filmed themselves posing at the landmark, before police officers approached them and allegedly asked them to cover themselves, NZ Herald reports. The video quickly went viral online, and sparked some outrage on social media.
The video shows the two women heading to the Eiffel Tower before taking off long black coats to reveal they are wearing just bikinis underneath. A third woman also took part in the video.
Footage shows crowds of tourists at the scene, before the police officers intervene. Vanessa Lopez, a friend of the women who shot the video, shared the tale on social media.
She said: "We were almost arrested, guys, because we were advertising for bikinis and they said we can’t. We said, ‘Ah, but it’s a bikini.’"
“I even said, ‘Lady, it’s because we have a bikini business,” she added.
But when the women explained to police that the pictures were for their swimwear company, the police replied that it remained illegal. Police explained that taking semi-nude photographs in front of tourist attractions is banned in France.
Brazilian TV personality Luane Dias, 28, was also visiting the Eiffel Tower and filmed the incident on her own phone. She shared the footage to social media, captioning her own video: “I’m glad I’m not with them.”
The video proceeded to split opinion online. Some commenters posted in support of the two women, while others branded it “useless” marketing designed to shock followers.
One said: "Sometimes sense has to come before marketing.”
Gabriela Versiani, who has 4.5m followers on Instagram and founded swimwear brand Versiani Swim, posted a new video after the incident, showing her in the bikini at the Eiffel Tower. She added the caption: “In Paris we use VS @versianiswim.”
