Johnson Wen, an Australian national, has been sentenced to nine days in jail for rushing at Ariana Grande during the red-carpet premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore. The 26-year-old was convicted of being a public nuisance after he jumped over a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore on 13 November and grabbed the singer.
Footage from the event shows Wen rushing towards Grande before her co-star Cynthia Erivo intervened to protect her. Security staff removed Wen, but he made a second attempt to jump the barricades, prompting them to pin him down. Wen regularly posts on Instagram as pyjamamann, sharing videos of himself rushing stages at concerts by artists such as Katy Perry and the Weeknd.
The incident sparked significant backlash online, with many calling for his arrest. Red-carpet invasions have become increasingly rare as security has tightened. In 2007, a podcaster handcuffed herself to Hugh Grant, and in 2014, Bradley Cooper was accosted by a Ukrainian prankster. In 2012, Kim Kardashian was flour-bombed by a Peta activist.
Grande and her co-stars are currently on a promotional tour for the Wicked sequel, which is set for release on 21 November. Early reviews have suggested potential Oscar nominations for the two leading actresses.
