Fan attacks Ariana Grande at Singapore ‘Wicked’ premiere
A fan attacked Ariana Grande as she walked the yellow carpet at the premiere of Wicked: For Good, and Cynthia Erivo shoved him.
Cynthia Erivo supported Ariana Grande during a horrifying red carpet incident.
The “Wicked: For Good” stars took to the stage at the film’s premiere in Singapore on Nov. 13, and a video shared on social media showed a man jumping onto the carpet and grabbing Grande.
Erivo quickly jumped in and helped separate the man from his co-star before security intervened, as seen in a video showing the moment from multiple angles.
Fans identified the man as Johnson Wen, who uses the name Pajama Man on social media. Wen posted a clip of the incident on her verified Instagram account, thanking Grande for “walking on the yellow carpet with me” in the caption, which drew widespread criticism in the comments section.
“You literally assaulted her. This is not humiliation, it’s a crime. Shame on you!” one person commented.
Another comment read: “Your behavior at SG’s premiere night is unacceptable.” “You should have some respect and privacy for Ariana and behave respectfully during the premiere.”
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Wen has previously shared numerous clips of herself running on stage at concerts on her social media. According to NBC News, he was arrested and charged with trespassing on closed grounds and obstructing the performance of his duties after running on stage and grabbing Katy Perry at a Sydney concert in June.
Grande’s incident comes weeks after Billie Eilish was grabbed and violently pulled away by a person in the crowd during a concert in Miami, prompting fans to speak out in support of the pop singer. “That’s not a fan. That’s crossing the line. You can love someone’s art while still being human,” one person commented at the time.
Erivo and Grande are currently in the middle of a promotional tour for “Wicked: For Good,” a musical sequel based on the second half of the Broadway show “Wicked.” The global tour kicked off with a red carpet event in Brazil on November 4, but Grande was forced to miss the event due to a flight issue.
The Oscar-nominated actress told fans she “doesn’t want us to be in any danger” after sharing on Instagram that she was “heartbroken” to miss the Brazil Games.
“We did everything we could. I promise no one is more upset than I am,” Grande wrote. “No matter how upset or disappointed you are, please don’t wish us any danger or assume we didn’t try.”
Contributor: Taylor Ardley, USA TODAY
