Self-proclaimed 'pro-life Spiderman' scales Sphere in Las Vegas ahead of Super Bowl

Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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People are seen in handcuffs near the Sphere after law enforcement responded to reports that anti-abortion activist Maison Des Champs (not pictured) had climbed to the top of the structure on Feb. 7, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. DesChamps was previously arrested for also climbing the Aria in August 2021.
People are seen in handcuffs near the Sphere after law enforcement responded to reports that anti-abortion activist Maison Des Champs (not pictured) had climbed to the top of the structure on Feb. 7, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. DesChamps was previously arrested for also climbing the Aria in August 2021.

An activist who calls himself the pro-life Spiderman for climbing skyscrapers to raise money for anti-abortion causes was arrested Wednesday after scaling the Las Vegas Sphere, four days before half a million people will arrive for Superbowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.

This time, 24-year-old Maison Des Champs said he free-climbed the Sphere to help cancel the alleged upcoming abortion of a woman he identified as Isabel on a post promoting the anti-abortion group Let Them Live.

"We care more about seeing Taylor Swift on the kiss cam than" abortion, Des Champs said in a statement.

Maison Des Champs' arrest

A crowd gathered below as Des Champs live-streamed the 367-foot climb up the world's largest spherical structure.

An activist who calls himself the pro-life Spiderman for climbing skyscrapers to raise money for anti-abortion causes was arrested Wednesday after scaling the Las Vegas Sphere.
An activist who calls himself the pro-life Spiderman for climbing skyscrapers to raise money for anti-abortion causes was arrested Wednesday after scaling the Las Vegas Sphere.

Police who responded to the scene on Wednesday morning were waiting for Des Champs upon his descent of the sphere and arrested him, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told USA TODAY.

Des Champs was booked at Clark County Detention Center on charges of destroying property and conspiracy to destroy private property, police said. It wasn't immediately clear whether he was still being held Thursday but his name was not listed in online inmate records.

Sphere Entertainment thanked police in a statement provided to the Las Vegas Review Journal,

“We are grateful to the local authorities for their support in this matter," the statement said. "The individuals involved are currently in the custody of LVMPD.”

Pro-Life Spiderman at it again: Activist is arrested climbing Chicago's Accenture Tower

Maison Des Champs' previous climbs

Maison DesChamps climbs the Chase Tower in Phoenix on Feb. 7, 2023.
Maison DesChamps climbs the Chase Tower in Phoenix on Feb. 7, 2023.

Before climbing The Sphere, Des Champs scaled Chase Tower in Phoenix on Feb. 7 last year. Until Phoenix, none of the charges brought against him from previous climbs have stuck, the activist shared online.

"Worst case scenario, I will spend a couple months in jail," Des Champs wrote in an Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maison DesChamps (@prolife.spiderman)

Des Champs climbed the Accenture Tower in Chicago back in October, USA TODAY previously reported.

Des Champs also scaled a skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City back in 2022, USA TODAY previously reported. He was arrested and released.

And in 2021, he climbed the Aria Resort & Casino, also in Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anti-abortion activist scales Las Vegas Sphere ahead of Super Bowl