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Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande on ‘Wicked: For Good’ Red Carpet Arrested and Charged
Ariana Grande endured a frightening moment on what should have been a glamorous night out. During the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore on Thursday, November 13, a man rushed the red carpet and grabbed the pop star in front of stunned fans, photographers and her costars.
According to BBC News, the individual — identified as 26-year-old Australian Johnson Wen — has now been charged in Singapore court with being a public nuisance. Viral video captured Wen leaping over a barricade and lunging toward Grande as Cynthia Erivo immediately jumped in, shielding her castmate while security pulled him away. If convicted, Wen faces a fine of up to S$2,000 (about $1,540). Local outlets report he intends to plead guilty.
Wen, who goes by “Pyjama Man” online, frequently posts videos of himself attempting to get close to celebrities at premieres and concerts. He’s previously crashed shows for Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and the Chainsmokers. Shortly after Thursday’s incident, he posted on Instagram that he was “free after being arrested,” along with a clip captioned, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ❤️.”
His comments were quickly flooded with backlash, with one user writing, “Oh wow so you do this a lot… how aren’t you in jail?” Another added, “There needs to be an action done against him as this is clearly a criminal offense.”
The chaos unfolded just as Grande — who stars as Glinda in the upcoming musical film — was posing alongside Erivo, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum. Witnesses said she appeared visibly shaken, taking several breaths while Erivo and Yeoh comforted her.
The scary moment struck a nerve with fans familiar with Grande’s past trauma. The singer has previously spoken openly about living with PTSD and anxiety following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people during her concert. “Yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well,” she told British Vogue in 2018. “It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss … I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.” She has also described her ongoing struggle with anxiety, saying, “I think a lot of people have anxiety, especially right now … My anxiety has anxiety.”
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