Ariana Grande was the target of a fan attack during the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore. While walking the carpet lined by fans there to greet the cast, the singer and actress was aggressively grabbed by a man who pulled her into an embrace. Cynthia Erivo reacted quicker than the crew of security guards surrounding them, shoving the man away from her co-star and checking that she wasn’t hurt.
The attacker was quickly identified as Johnson Wen, a self-proclaimed “stage invader” who lives in Australia and goes by the handle Pyjama Man. Wen frequently attends live music and sporting events, where he storms the stage for unauthorized interactions with the performing artists. He has managed to evade security at tours featuring artists including Katy Perry, the Weeknd, and the Chainsmokers.
Grande was Wen’s latest target, but there seems to be an additional layer of delusion and fanaticism that fueled this particular encounter. In an Instagram post, he shared a video that captured him running up to Grande — who appeared visibly frightened — and jumping up and down while gripping her shoulders. “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ❤️,” Wen wrote in the caption. The bio of his Instagram account also includes the note: “Ariana Grande is the Queen.”
Wen removed his shoes before rushing Grande, wearing only white socks, a T-shirt, and shorts. Erivo appeared to yell at him before shifting his focus solely to consoling Grande, who was ushered away from the carpet. A rep for Grande did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment, though her publicist was by her side during the incident.
Wen has restricted comments on his Instagram post about the incident. Fans have swarmed the comment sections of his previous posts, which also include instances of general public disruption in libraries, food courts, and public transportation. “What you did was so disrespectful not only to Ariana herself, but also to all the actual fans who waited years to meet her,” one fan wrote.
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Grande drew necessary boundaries with fans at the start of the Wicked: For Good premiere tour. After sharing that she would regretfully miss the Brazil premiere due to flight delays beyond her control, some disappointed fans took their remarks too far. “Please don’t wish danger on us,” Grande wrote in a social media statement. “We did everything we could and I promise you no one is more upset than I am, I promise. No matter how upset or disappointed you are, please please do not wish danger on us or assume that we didn’t try.”
The premiere tour will continue with a final event in New York on Monday, and most likely with additional security measures. In another video from their Singapore appearance, Grande and Erivo made their exit, going straight to their waiting car as fans watched and cheered for them. The Wicked stars didn’t stop to greet anyone.
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