New York City politician kissed by stranger during TV interview: ‘Very creepy’

Inna Vernikov being interviewed on Brighton Beach by CBS New York, when a man wearing a gray hat approaches her and kisses her on the cheek before walking off. Photograph: Twitter

A New York City councilwoman was left shocked when in the middle of a television interview a stranger approached and kissed her on the cheek without asking for her consent.

In video posted on Twitter, Inna Vernikov can be seen being interviewed on Brighton Beach in Brooklyn by Hannah Kliger of CBS New York. A man wearing a gray hat approaches Vernikov and kisses her on the cheek before walking off.

Visibly shocked, Vernikov turns to the man, who smiles as he walks away.

“What the fuck?” Vernikov says.

Raised in Brooklyn in a family of Ukrainian immigrants, Vernikov is a Republican representative for the New York City’s 48th district. Following the incident, she wrote: “Not the kind of love I’d expect from constituents! Very creepy moment.”

Other city council members came to Vernikov’s defense.

Marjorie Velázquez, who represents district 13, wrote: “This disgusting behavior is unfortunately all too common in the day-to-day lives of women. We cannot let sexual assault become a normalized part of our public interactions. I hope [New York police] can track this assailant down and bring swift justice.”

Keith Powers, of district four, wrote: “Very gross behavior. Hope my colleague is OK.”

Inna Vernikov reacts after man wearing a gray hat approaches and kisses her on the cheek before walking off. Photograph: Twitter

Lynn Schulman, of district 29, said: “This is abhorrent and disgusting. Hope the assailant is found. Sadly, this type of unacceptable behavior typically happens to women, even in 2023.”

Vernikov said: “Thanks to my colleagues for standing up for me.”

The incident came in a week in which the New York City mayor, Eric Adams, faced criticism following an announcement about new outdoor dining rules.

“You’re looking to date, you may drive by, you may see eye candy sitting down somewhere, you may want to park and come and slip them your number. Hey, listen, come have fun, man. Outdoor dining is the way to go,” Adams said.

One social media user wrote: “So Eric Adams is advocating stopping in the middle of some of the worst traffic in America, specifically to sexualize and demean women to being nothing more than ‘eye candy’? Got it.”

Another wrote: “Remember, if you’re dining outdoors, you must always stay vigilant for Eric Adams. He could be anywhere, ready to leap out from behind a trendy brick wall and call you ‘eye candy’.”