Followers Demand Arrest of Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande visited Singapore for the Asia-Pacific premiere of Wicked: For Good

Passionate supporters of the pop star are demanding that a man who leaped a barricade and grabbed the actress during Thursday's Wicked: For Good launch be detained or deported from Singapore.

A widely shared clip shows the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside photographers and charging at Grande while the actors proceeded down a promenade surrounded by onlookers.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly wrested the surprised performer away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being led away of the event by guards.

Mr Wen posted on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "free after being arrested", though legal records indicated that he was scheduled to be present on the following morning. It is not clear if he was formally accused.

History of Event Invasions

This is part of a pattern for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Notorious Troublemaker", has disrupted a performance. His Instagram profile includes clips of him interrupting other high-profile occasions, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry's Sydney performance in earlier this year and in a like fashion during The Chainsmokers event in the area last winter.

"There needs to be action taken against him as this is clearly a punishable act," wrote an Instagram follower, in a message to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his behavior.

"You've done this repeatedly... how are you not behind bars?" one Instagram user wrote.

Fans Voice Worry Over Ariana's Safety

Several supporters criticized Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had revealed experiencing PTSD after a devastating incident at the end of her spring 2017 show in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" commented a further response on Instagram.

Some attendees also criticised guards at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough; while different individuals requested digital services to ban Mr Wen's content.

Reaction and Event Details

In clips shared widely, Grande seemed startled when she was approached by the individual. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen comforting her while Mr Wen was led out by security.

Grande has not issued a statement on the incident, and the remaining proceedings continued without further issues.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Many of Singapore fans had queued up to meet the performers of Wicked

Many of fans had gathered in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good regional launch in a Singapore venue, including a number who had waited for as long as many hours before it commenced.

The motion picture, to be premiered on the 21st of November, is the follow-up of a two-film version of the acclaimed stage show Wicked, which revolves around the unlikely bond between two contrasting characters.

The show itself is a adaptation of the twentieth-century story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who plays the character Glinda Glinda, was adorned in a rosé sparkling outfit at the premiere while Erivo, who plays the villainous character, wore a elegant ensemble featuring roses.

They were accompanied by fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The previous installment, Wicked, was the most successful film of 2024 in the UK, and earned 10 Oscar nominations, earning two for best costume and production design.

Leslie Martin
Leslie Martin

A senior software architect with over 12 years of experience in cloud computing and AI-driven solutions, passionate about mentoring tech teams.

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