Fans Urge Custody of Man Who Seized Ariana Grande
Devoted fans of the pop star are urging that a man who leaped a barricade and grabbed the celebrity during yesterday's Wicked: For Good launch be taken into custody or deported from Singapore.
A circulating video reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen pushing past camera operators and rushing toward Grande while the actors proceeded down a yellow carpet flanked by onlookers.
Cast member Cynthia Erivo quickly guided the stunned star away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the event by event staff.
Mr Wen stated on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "released after being arrested", though legal records showed that he was set to attend court on the following morning. It is uncertain if he was faced legal action.
History of Incidents
This is part of a pattern for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Notorious Troublemaker", has disrupted a concert or event. His Instagram feed contains clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including breaching the performance area at the pop singer's Sydney performance in earlier this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers concert in the area last December.
"Measures must be taken taken against him as this is clearly a legal violation," commented an Instagram user, in a reply to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his behavior.
"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" another Instagram user wrote.
Supporters Show Disapproval Over Ariana's Past Trauma
Several followers accused Mr Wen for "re-traumatising" Grande, who had revealed dealing with PTSD after a suicide bomb attack at the finale of her May 2017 performance in Manchester, claiming the lives of 22 people and wounding many.
"The star has endured numerous terrifying experiences... including the Manchester tragedy, and you believed breaching security was amusing?" wrote one more message on Instagram.
Several fans also criticised guards at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough; while different individuals demanded online networks to ban Mr Wen's videos.
Aftermath and Premiere Information
In clips spreading on the internet, Grande appeared startled when she was grabbed by the man. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed comforting her while Mr Wen was removed by staff.
Grande has not commented on the situation, and the rest of the event continued without further issues.
Hundreds of fans had assembled in a mass of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore shopping center, including some who had queued for as long as eight hours before it commenced.
The film, to be released on November 21, is the follow-up of a dual interpretation of the acclaimed Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which revolves around the unlikely friendship between two contrasting sorceresses.
The show itself is a derivative of the classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, was dressed in a champagne pink sparkling outfit at the premiere while Erivo, who acts as the wicked witch, wore a black tube gown featuring roses.
They were accompanied by co-star Jeff Goldblum.
The previous installment, Wicked, was the top-earning film of 2024 in the UK, and received ten Academy Award nods, earning a pair for excellent wardrobe and artistic direction.