Australian Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande at Singapore Premiere Sentenced to Nine Days in Jail
An Australian man who rushed Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good has been sentenced to nine days in jail after pleading guilty to public nuisance charges.
Johnson Wen, 26, jumped over a barricade during last Thursday’s premiere and ran toward the cast as they walked down the yellow carpet. He placed his arm around the visibly shocked pop star, prompting co-star Cynthia Erivo to step in and push him away before security escorted him out.
According to local media, Wen attempted to invade the premiere twice. After being removed from the carpet the first time, he tried again moments later, attempting to jump the barricades before guards stopped and pinned him down.
Prosecutors described Wen as a “serial intruder,” noting his past incidents at concerts for Katy Perry and The Weeknd. They recommended a week-long jail term, citing that he regularly posted his stunts on social media.
Wen, who was not represented in court, told the judge he would “not do it again.” He later shared footage of the incident online, captioned: “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
Ariana Grande has not publicly commented on the encounter. However, Cynthia Erivo appeared to reference the stressful moment during a SAG screening in Los Angeles, saying:
“We have come through some s**t… even this last week, let’s be honest… we’ve had to really deal with some stuff.”
The final Wicked: For Good premiere is set for New York on Monday night, ahead of the film’s release on 21 November.