🔗 Share this article

Loyal supporters of the actress are urging that a man who breached a fence and grabbed the celebrity during Thursday's Wicked: For Good debut be taken into custody or expelled from Singapore.

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

Cast member Cynthia Erivo quickly pulled the stunned actress away from Mr Wen, who was observed being led away of the gathering by security officers.

Mr Wen shared on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "free after being taken in", though court documents indicated that he was scheduled to be present on the following morning. It is uncertain if he was charged.

History of Event Invasions

This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Controversial Figure", has crashed a celebrity gathering. His Instagram profile features recordings of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at the artist's Sydney concert in June this year and in a like fashion during The Chainsmokers performance in the same location last year.

"There needs to be action enforced against him as this is clearly a legal violation," stated an Instagram commenter, in a response to a video Mr Wen posted of his actions.

"You've done this repeatedly... how are you not behind bars?" one Instagram user questioned.

Fans Express Concern Over Ariana's Well-being

Several followers blamed Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had discussed dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a suicide bomb attack at the finale of her 2017 concert in Manchester, resulting in the death of 22 people and wounding 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?" said another message on Instagram.

A number of fans also criticised guards at the premiere for not being vigilant enough; while different individuals called for digital services to ban Mr Wen's videos.

Response and Event Details

In videos shared widely, Grande seemed surprised when she was approached by the individual. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted comforting her while Mr Wen was removed by guards.

Grande has not issued a statement on the situation, and the remaining proceedings carried on uninterrupted.

Many of fans had congregated in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good international premiere in a Singapore mall, including several who had waited for as long as many hours before it started.

The motion picture, to be premiered on the 21st of November, is the second of a dual version of the well-known stage production Wicked, which centers on the surprising bond between two very different witches.

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

Grande, who portrays the good witch Glinda, was adorned in a rosé sparkling outfit at the gathering while Erivo, who portrays the wicked witch, wore a sleek black dress decorated with roses.

They were accompanied by fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The previous installment, Wicked, was the highest-grossing motion picture of 2024 in the UK, and received 10 award recognitions, securing two for excellent wardrobe and production design.