Followers Urge Detainment of Person Who Seized Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande was in Singapore for the international launch of Wicked: For Good

Devoted followers of the actress are demanding that a man who leaped a barrier and touched the actress during yesterday's Wicked: For Good launch be arrested or deported from Singapore.

A widely shared footage shows the person identified as Johnson Wen bypassing camera operators and charging at Grande while the actors walked down a promenade flanked by supporters.

Fellow actress Cynthia Erivo immediately pulled the shocked star away from Mr Wen, who was seen being removed of the event by event staff.

Mr Wen shared on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "free after being taken in", though legal records indicated that he was scheduled to appear on the next day. It is not clear if he was faced legal action.

Record of Event Invasions

This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Troll Most Hated", has disrupted a celebrity gathering. His Instagram feed contains videos of him interrupting other celebrity events, including rushing the platform at Katy Perry's Sydney show in earlier this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers concert in the same location last winter.

"There needs to be action enforced against him as this is evidently a punishable act," commented an Instagram commenter, in a reply to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his act.

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

Followers Express Concern Over Grande's Safety

Many followers blamed Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had revealed suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at the finale of her 2017 performance in Manchester, claiming the lives of 22 people and injuring numerous individuals.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" wrote another response on Instagram.

Several fans also criticised security officers at the premiere for not being vigilant enough; while different individuals called for online networks to block Mr Wen's uploads.

Aftermath and Premiere Information

In clips spreading on the internet, Grande seemed surprised when she was touched by the intruder. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted reassuring her while Mr Wen was removed by staff.

Grande has not commented on the event, and the remaining proceedings proceeded as normal.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Numerous of Singapore attendees had lined up to meet the performers of Wicked

Hundreds of attendees had assembled in a crowd of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific launch in a Singapore mall, including a number who had waited for as long as a significant duration before it began.

The movie, to be released on November 21, is the second of a two-film version of the well-known theatrical show Wicked, which revolves around the unlikely friendship between two very different witches.

The production 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 light pink sequin dress at the event while Erivo, who portrays the wicked witch, wore a sleek black dress embroidered with roses.

They were alongside fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The initial film, Wicked, was the highest-grossing film of 2024 in the UK, and scored 10 Oscar nominations, winning several for outstanding attire and artistic direction.

Ronald Farrell
Ronald Farrell

Elara Vance is a gaming technology expert with over a decade of experience in casino systems development and innovation.