WTF?! Some influencers will do anything for views, including, it seems, tying their handcuffed girlfriend to the roof of a car and driving around. But the stunt has landed Sergey Kosenko in trouble with the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate, which is reportedly investigating the incident.
Kosenko has built his five million-strong following by posting dangerous stunts in the past. His latest Instagram video shows the Russian influencer driving around the streets of Moscow in a Bentley. While there's nothing unusual about that, Kosenko's girlfriend was tied to the roof, gagged with tape, and handcuffed to him at the time.
Kosenko wrote that he'd done this same thing "already 20 times." He claims it is one of many "trust tests" that the couple takes---surely counseling would be safer.
The video might have gained Kosenko new followers, but the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate was not impressed. It published a statement on Telegram that reads: "Employees of the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate initiated a check on the fact of a video posted on the Internet, in which a girl is tied on the roof of a moving car."
Kosenko wrote in a follow-up Instagram post that both he and his girlfriend apologized for the incident and that they were fined, though the 750 rubles (around $10) is unlikely to bankrupt the couple. Kosenko said it was a "shame" to lose the money.
According to Russian publication Life (via Insider), the Bentley did not belong to Kosenko and had 68 unpaid fines attached to it. It's not the first time his antics have brought attention: he was deported from Indonesia for throwing a party in violation of Covid-19 rules, and he angered the entire island of Bali by driving a motorcycle off a dock while a woman held onto the back.
Influencers, of course, are no stranger to stunts like these; you may remember the TikTok star who licked toilet seats for a "coronavirus challenge," people eating Tide Pods, the Kiki Challenge, and the Bird Box Challenge.
Insider notes that Kosenko appears to be following a Russian trend called "trash streaming" or "thrash streaming," where people record themselves carrying out dangerous acts for money. It's already led to several deaths, including that of a 60-year-old man who died during a livestream after consuming 1.5 liters of vodka.