Supporters Demand Arrest of Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande visited Singapore for the Asia-Pacific premiere of Wicked: For Good

Loyal supporters of Ariana Grande are urging that a person who jumped a barricade and seized the celebrity during yesterday's Wicked: For Good debut be detained or deported from Singapore.

A viral footage depicts the person identified as Johnson Wen pushing past camera operators and lunging at Grande while the performers proceeded down a yellow carpet accompanied by fans.

Fellow actress Cynthia Erivo quickly wrested the stunned performer away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being escorted out of the premiere by event staff.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "free after being arrested", though official papers showed that he was scheduled to be present on the next day. It is unknown if he was formally accused.

Record of Disruptions

This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Troll Most Hated", has invaded a celebrity gathering. His Instagram account contains recordings of him disrupting other celebrity events, including rushing the platform at Katy Perry's Sydney concert in earlier this year and in a like fashion during The Chainsmokers performance in the city last December.

"Measures must be taken enforced against him as this is evidently a punishable act," commented an Instagram follower, in a reply to a video Mr Wen shared of his behavior.

"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" one Instagram user questioned.

Supporters Show Disapproval Over Grande's Safety

Numerous followers accused Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had spoken of experiencing trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist explosion at the end of her spring 2017 performance in Manchester, resulting in the death of 22 people and harming hundreds.

"The star has endured numerous terrifying experiences... including the Manchester tragedy, and you believed breaching security was amusing?" said one more response on Instagram.

A number of supporters also questioned guards at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough; while different individuals called for online networks to remove Mr Wen's content.

Aftermath and Event Details

In videos spreading on the internet, Grande seemed startled when she was grabbed by the man. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted consoling her while Mr Wen was escorted away by staff.

Grande has not issued a statement on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as normal.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Many of Singapore fans had waited to meet the actors of Wicked

Hundreds of fans had congregated in a mass of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good regional premiere in a Singapore mall, including some who had queued for as long as many hours before it started.

The movie, to be released on 21 November, is the sequel of a two-film adaptation of the popular stage musical Wicked, which centers on the unexpected bond between two contrasting sorceresses.

The show itself is a adaptation of the twentieth-century children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who portrays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was adorned in a champagne pink glittering gown at the premiere while Erivo, who portrays the villainous character, wore a black tube gown embroidered with roses.

They were joined by fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The first movie, Wicked, was the top-earning motion picture of 2024 in the UK, and received ten Oscar nominations, winning several for excellent wardrobe and production design.

David Wilson
David Wilson

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