Followers Urge Custody of Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande attended an event in Singapore for the regional premiere of Wicked: For Good

Passionate fans of the pop star are demanding that a man who leaped a barricade and grabbed the performer during Thursday's Wicked: For Good premiere be detained or removed from Singapore.

A widely shared clip shows the person identified as Johnson Wen bypassing photographers and rushing toward Grande while the cast walked down a event pathway surrounded by fans.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly wrested the shocked star away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being removed of the gathering by guards.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "let go after being detained", though court documents showed that he was due to attend court on the next day. It is not clear if he was charged.

Record of Disruptions

This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Notorious Troublemaker", has invaded a performance. His Instagram profile includes clips of him interrupting other star-studded functions, including rushing the platform at Katy Perry's Sydney show in earlier this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers performance in the area last year.

"Measures must be taken applied against him as this is clearly a punishable act," wrote an Instagram follower, in a message to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his actions.

"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" one Instagram user wrote.

Fans Voice Worry Over Grande's Well-being

Numerous followers criticized Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had discussed suffering from trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist explosion at the finale of her 2017 performance in Manchester, killing 22 people and harming 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 a further comment on Instagram.

Some supporters also faulted guards at the premiere for not being sufficiently alert; while others demanded social media platforms to ban Mr Wen's content.

Response and Premiere Information

In footage spreading on the internet, Grande appeared surprised when she was approached by the intruder. 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 event, and the rest of the event continued without further issues.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Numerous of Singapore supporters had waited to meet the cast of Wicked

Many of attendees had congregated in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good regional premiere in a Singapore mall, including some who had queued for as long as a significant duration before it started.

The movie, to be released on 21 November, is the follow-up of a two-film adaptation of the acclaimed theatrical show Wicked, which centers on the unexpected relationship between two very different sorceresses.

The production itself is a derivative of the 1900 story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who plays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was decked out in a rosé sparkling outfit at the gathering while Erivo, who portrays the villainous character, wore a elegant ensemble featuring roses.

They were alongside fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The first movie, Wicked, was the most successful film of 2024 in the UK, and scored a dozen Oscar nominations, winning two for excellent wardrobe and production design.

Justin Manning
Justin Manning

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino strategy development and player psychology.