Vitalii Sediuk Identified As Man Who Grabbed Justin Timberlake Outside Of Louis Vuitton Fashion Show
While all sorts of drama can accompany a high fashion event such as a Louis Vuitton show, it’s a little bit unusual for one of the attending celebrities to be accosted by a prankster before they even enter the venue.
That’s precisely what happened to pop music icon Justin Timberlake as he arrived at the fashion house’s Tuesday show during Paris Fashion Week, with the “Suit & Tie” singer having been grabbed by Vitalii Sediuk, per E! News, a man who has made a name for himself for similar acts. Emerging from a black vehicle alongside his wife, actress Jessica Biel, Timberlake found himself frozen in place as Sediuk emerged from out of the crowd and quickly grabbed onto Timberlake’s leg.
Sediuk wasted little time in attempting to protect his identity from the many prying eyes present, raising one hand to shield his face. Wearing a dark blue blazer, formal pants, and dress shoes, he may have been better dressed than many in attendance. His snappy duds couldn’t save him from security, however, with bodyguards quickly intervening in a matter of moments to remove Sediuk.
For his part, Justin Timberlake appeared completely calm and unperturbed throughout the ordeal, simply standing still and peering down at Sediuk as the latter pulled him slightly off-balance. Biel whirled about as her husband was accosted but only seconds passed before security personnel present were able to separate Sediuk and Timberlake. Then, without skipping a beat, the former NSYNC member rejoined hands with his wife and strode down the aisle to the fashion show.
Vitalii Sediuk has carved out a bit of a niche for himself, having ambushed several major celebrities over the past several years. That list includes Will Smith — whom Sediuk famously kissed on the red carpet for Men in Black 3, earning himself a sharp backhanded slap from Smith in response — as well as Ciara and Kim Kardashian. Raw video footage of Smith’s iconic slap of Sediuk is provided by the AP, via YouTube, and earned Smith praise just last summer. Per NME, chart-topping rapper Jay-Z went on the record in July of last year to call this particular red carpet moment the “funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”
This odd prank wasn’t the only one to go down in Paris today, however. As ET Canada details, the Chanel runway show saw an unadvertised amateur model take to the catwalk. French YouTuber Marie Benoliel decided to get up and join the slated talent for a stroll, but was quickly shut down by supermodel Gigi Hadid.
In a statement provided by Chanel, the style label revealed that Benoliel was escorted from the event without further incident.
