Cynthia Erivo sprang to the defense of her co-star and friend Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good, after a fan breached security and attacked the star on the yellow brick road carpet at Universal Studios Singapore on Thursday.
The alarming incident was caught on video, showing Cynthia, who portrays Elphaba in the hit Broadway adaptation, instantly positioning herself between Ariana, who plays Glinda, and the deranged attacker, pulling him away from the Eternal Sunshine singer.
Body language expert Judi James commented on the unsettling event, highlighting how Cynthia’s quick reactions demonstrated the deep and ‘profound’ connection between the two actresses.
Ariana and Cynthia were walking hand-in-hand with Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum on the yellow brick road carpet ahead of the Singapore premiere of the second installment of the Wicked franchise when a man jumped the barrier and forcefully wrapped his arm around the 32-year-old singer.
Cynthia immediately inserted herself between the attacker and Ariana, who appeared visibly shaken and surprised, as bystanders asked the star if she was alright, reports the Mirror US.
Ariana, who has been candid about struggling with post-traumatic stress and anxiety following the 2017 bombing that claimed 22 lives at one of her concerts in Manchester, appeared visibly shaken after the incident as her co-stars consoled her.
Cynthia wrapped her arms around Ariana, who clung to her friend while stroking her forearms, “in a signal of recognition for the protective help as well as a reassurance that she is ok.”
The body language specialist explained, “There are levels of relationship that can range from the surface ones right down to deeper, profound ones and, whatever the state of the friendship between these two women at surface level and however that might evolve as they go off on separate projects, it’s clear that on the very deepest and most profound level it still survives.”
Furious fans are demanding the man’s arrest after he was ejected from the venue and bragged about the terrifying encounter on social media. He posted an Instagram story with the words, “I finally met Ariana Grande tonight!” and shared a video of the attack on his feed with the caption “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
