A marriage proposal at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City was disrupted when a security guard instructed the groom-to-be to stand up. The incident, captured on video and shared on Instagram, has drawn criticism online.
The woman, identified as Lina, a lawyer, posted the footage last week showing her boyfriend proposing in front of the museum's stained glass section. As the man knelt and she reached for the ring, the guard intervened.
"He's being rude and condescending and telling us to get up," Lina stated in the post. She claimed the guard cited a non-existent rule against proposals, adding that the guard also told her friend to stop filming. "I'm really upset about my proposal being ruined."
Lina described the guard as an "incel" on a "power trip" who tried to ruin a "once in a lifetime moment." She and her fiancé, who was not named, later went to a Shake Shack to calm down.
Online commenters expressed outrage over the guard's actions, with many noting that numerous proposals have occurred at the museum without incident. "The security guard could have allowed the moment to unfold, then privately explained the museum's policy afterward," one commenter wrote. Another observed, "There literally hundreds of posts of people proposing at the met in the last 5 years."
Despite the interruption, Lina stated that she and her fiancé, who met at the museum a few years ago, still plan to marry.
The New York Post reported that the Met Museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lina also did not respond to an email from the publication.