An Australian man who grabbed Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good has been sentenced to nine days in jail. Johnson Wen, 26, was convicted of being a public nuisance after jumping over a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore and rushing at the singer on the red carpet on 13 November.
Video footage shows Wen leaping a barrier and approaching Grande, who was attending the premiere with her co-star Cynthia Erivo. Erivo immediately stepped in to protect Grande, and Wen was removed by security. However, the court heard that after being escorted away, Wen made a second attempt to jump the barricades before being pinned down by security staff.
Wen, who posts on Instagram as pyjamamann, has a history of disrupting events and rushing stages. His account features footage of stage invasions involving Katy Perry and the Weeknd. The incident with Grande sparked a substantial backlash, with many commenters describing his actions as a criminal offence.
The premiere was part of a worldwide publicity tour for the Wicked sequel, which is released on 21 November. Red-carpet invasions have become increasingly uncommon due to tightened security. Notable past incidents include a 2007 incident where a woman handcuffed herself to Hugh Grant, and a 2014 prank that involved Bradley Cooper.
