The 26-year-old who charged at American actress and pop star Ariana Grande,<\/p>\n
At the yellow carpet event attended by ticket-holding fans, influencers and the media, he jumped the barricade at <\/b>Universal Studios Singapore in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) twice. In his second attempt, he rushed towards the petite 1.57m-tall singer and flung his arm roughly around her. <\/p>\n
Grande\u2019s co-star, British actress-singer Cythia Erivo, swiftly forced her body in between them to protect Grande, before security tossed him back over the barricade. <\/p>\n
Wen, who had posted smug videos of himself being set free after the incident, was charged in court on Nov 14. He pleaded guilty on Nov 17 and was sentenced to nine days\u2019 jail.<\/p>\n
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Event crasher Johnson Wen (in white) committed the offence at Universal Studios Singapore on Nov 13.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG<\/p>\n
But the damage has already been done.<\/p>\n
His actions marred what was meant to be a momentous night \u2013 not just for Wicked fans, but all of Singapore. The Republic was one of just five stops (alongside Brazil, Paris, London and New York) on the international promo tour, and the only one in Asia. Thanks to the global fandom and the power of the Hollywood marketing machine, all eyes, even beyond the region, were on us.<\/p>\n
The premiere was supposed to be a rare opportunity for Singapore to shine on a global stage outside our usual strengths of tech and finance. <\/p>\n
For once, we had been chosen as a platform for Hollywood <\/b>entertainment. But the attack eclipsed any grand showing of the country, with every headline from the event highlighting Wen\u2019s attention-seeking actions. <\/p>\n
If even the global gossip TikTok accounts are talking about it, you know it\u2019s bad. <\/p>\n
Local TikTokers voiced their displeasure online: Singapore may not be particularly known for many things, but the one thing we are known for is safety. And what of that reputation now? One selfish person single-handedly \u201cthrew our face\u201d – and he was not even Singaporean. <\/p>\n
Many also felt the attack scared Grande off interacting with fans during the yellow carpet walk. While she had gamely posed for wefies \u2013 even holding the camera to snap the picture herself \u2013 and signed autographs at the free fan event held at RWS mall Weave a few hours before, she brisk-walked down the yellow carpet past the crowds during the premiere.<\/p>\n
Hurt and anger swelled online, as those inside USS \u2013 who paid $93 (before booking fees) to enter \u2013 felt they had been robbed of the chance to interact with their idol. <\/p>\n
As someone who was reporting from inside the premiere, I had noticed dynamic duo Grande and Erivo were a little off when it was their turn in the media pen. Throughout their two-year-long press tour, their rapport onscreen has translated into equally electrifying chemistry in their media interviews and on red carpets, which fans lapped up. <\/p>\n
This time, they were distant, a little uncertain. I had chalked it down to it being near the end of a long day, the humidity, jet lag even. I was unaware then that Grande had been grabbed just minutes earlier. <\/p>\n
When asked what was the moment they realised they had found a lifelong sister in each other, <\/b>Erivo, 38, had turned away from the mic and mumbled something with a smirk. I brushed it off as fatigue-induced cattiness; on closer listening afterwards, she had said: \u201cI want to say right now.\u201d<\/p>\n