🔗 Share this article

Devoted fans of the pop star are urging that a person who leaped a barrier and seized the actress during Thursday's Wicked: For Good premiere be taken into custody or expelled from Singapore.

A viral video reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside camera operators and charging at Grande while the performers made its way down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately pulled the shocked actress away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the event by security officers.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram recently that he was "released after being detained", though legal records showed that he was scheduled to attend court on the next day. It is not clear if he was formally accused.

Pattern of Event Invasions

This is part of a pattern for Mr Wen, who calls himself a "Notorious Troublemaker", has disrupted a celebrity gathering. His Instagram account includes recordings of him disrupting other star-studded functions, including breaching the performance area at the pop singer's Sydney performance in earlier this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers performance in the same location last December.

"Steps should be implemented taken against him as this is obviously a punishable act," commented an Instagram user, in a message to a video Mr Wen shared of his behavior.

"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" a different Instagram user wrote.

Supporters Voice Worry Over Grande's Past Trauma

Many followers blamed Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had discussed dealing with PTSD after a terrorist explosion at the finale of her 2017 performance in Manchester, killing 22 people and harming many.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" wrote one more message on Instagram.

A number of supporters also questioned event staff at the Thursday event for not being adequately prepared; while some called for online networks to ban Mr Wen's uploads.

Aftermath and Premiere Information

In clips circulating online, Grande looked startled when she was touched by the intruder. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen consoling her while Mr Wen was removed by security.

Grande has not issued a statement on the situation, and the rest of the event carried on uninterrupted.

Hundreds of supporters had gathered in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good regional debut in a Singapore mall, including some who had waited for as long as a significant duration before it began.

The film, to be launched on 21 November, is the follow-up of a dual version of the well-known theatrical production Wicked, which revolves around the unlikely bond between two contrasting sorceresses.

The production itself is a adaptation of the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who portrays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was adorned in a champagne pink sequin dress at the event while Erivo, who portrays the villainous character, wore a elegant ensemble embroidered with roses.

They were joined by cast member Jeff Goldblum.

The initial film, Wicked, was the most successful film of 2024 in the UK, and scored a dozen award recognitions, winning several for excellent wardrobe and artistic direction.