At the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, a man named Johnson Wen made headlines for his unexpected leap over a barricade and grab of actress Ariana Grande. The now-viral video captures Wen as he pushes past photographers, charging towards Grande as the cast walked down the yellow carpet surrounded by fans. Co-star Cynthia Erivo can be seen wresting the stunned actress away from Wen.
Wen, a 26-year-old Australian, posted on Instagram late Thursday that he was "free after being arrested." However, on Friday afternoon, he was charged with public nuisance by a Singapore court, causing massive outrage in the city-state.
Local media reports suggest that Wen, who describes himself as a "Troll Most Hated," has a history of invading concerts and events. His Instagram feed includes clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry's Sydney concert in June this year and at a concert by The Chainsmokers last December.
If found guilty, he may be fined up to S$2000 ($1540; £1170). Fans had earlier called for his arrest and deportation, with one Instagram user commenting on a video of Wen's act, "There needs to be action [taken] against him as this is clearly a criminal offence." Another user wrote, "Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?"
Several fans also criticized security officers at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough, while others called for social media platforms to ban Wen's videos. In the clips circulating online, Grande appeared shocked when she was grabbed by the intruder. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen comforting her while Wen was escorted away by security.
Grande has not commented on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as planned. The movie, to be released on 21 November, is the second of a two-part adaptation of the popular Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which centers on the unlikely friendship between two very different witches. The musical itself is a spin-off of the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, was decked out in a champagne pink sequin dress at the premiere while Erivo, who plays the wicked witch, wore a black tube grown embroidered with roses. They were joined by co-star Jeff Goldblum who plays the wizard. The first movie, Wicked, was the highest-grossing movie of 2024 in the UK and scored 10 Oscar nominations, winning two for best costume and production design.
