When "prankster" Vitalii Sediuk attacks Kim Kardashian West, it's not funny — it's assault
On Wednesday, Kim Kardashian West was assaulted outside a restaurant in Paris. Vitalii Sediuk, the same "prankster" who attacked Gigi Hadid last week, walked up to the star and attempted to plant a kiss on her butt before being taken down by the reality star's security.
"I was protesting Kim for using fake butt implants," he wrote on Instagram. "I encourage her and the rest of Kardashian clan to popularize natural beauty among teenage girls who follow and defend them blindly."
Multiple publications are still calling this man a "prankster." And Sediuk himself noted to Mic in an email that what he does is simply a "hobby," like he's Ellen DeGeneres scaring a celebrity on her show.
Watching Ellen guide Adele through a Jamba Juice order is funny, harmless stuff. Groping anyone without their consent is never a joke. After all, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network describes any unwanted sexual touching as sexual assault.
Two years ago, Sediuk attempted a similar attack at Paris Fashion Week. He went to grab Kardashian West as she, Kris Jenner and Kanye West exited a limousine.
That, too, was attempted assault.
And yet, he doesn't believe so. To him, assault is "smashing someone's face or body on purpose." What he does to celebrities — Hadid and Kardashian West have not been his only targets — is different, he argues.
As Lena Dunham explained in Lenny Letter on Monday about Hadid's incident, street harassment is a prevalent issue around the globe, and not something only celebrities have to deal with. According to a 2014 Gallup survey, 37% of American adults "would feel unsafe walking alone near their home at night." Which is why it's so important for Sediuk to be held accountable for his actions, not to be written off as a "prankster."
As of publication, all Kardashian West has said about the incident is "my security @PascalDuvier is a G." But according to E! News, she has contacted French authorities to file a complaint.
