Man who accosted Ariana Grande faces nuisance charge in Singapore
Sometimes a person needs to find a new hobby β one that doesnβt involve terrifying celebrities.
An Australian man who threw his arms around Ariana Grande after charging at her Thursday during arrivals at the Singapore premiere of βWicked: For Goodβ has been charged with being a public nuisance, the BBC reported.
In various videos capturing the incident, as Grande greeted hundreds of fans lined up behind a barricade along a yellow carpet at the premiere, the man can be seen jumping a barricade on the other side of the carpet, running toward her with his arms and legs flailing, then grabbing her roughly around the neck and shoulders before turning and smiling happily for the cameras. Cynthia Erivo, who was walking with her co-star as well as Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh, immediately got between Grande and the man and appeared to shout at him.
Security then escorted the man away from the very shaken star, who plays Glinda in the βWickedβ movies. He was arrested, charged and later released, according to the BBC, which identified him as Johnson Wen, 26. If convicted, he could be fined more than $1,500 in U.S. dollars.
Wen, who goes by the name Pyjama Man on Instagram, considers himself a βstage invaderβ who has surprised major stars including Katy Perry and the Weeknd. He has been carted off by security at a Paris Olympics track and field event and more than once ran onto soccer pitches during high-profile matches. Wen seems to post media coverage of his bad behavior as a badge of honor on his Instagram account, where he refers to himself as a βTroll Most Hated.β
One video of the event, incidentally, can be seen on Wenβs Instagram grid, where he had the nerve to write as his caption, βDear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.β
βyou literally assaulted her and youβre posting it? bro you deserve to be in jail there is something severely wrong with you,β one commenter wrote below the video.
Another went into it in more detail, writing, βCongratulations. You managed to turn what shouldβve been a magical premiere into a global showcase of your complete inability to behave like a functioning adult. … Rushing a woman β any woman, let alone someone who has survived unimaginable trauma β is not βa prankβ. Itβs not βa stuntβ. Itβs not βfunnyβ. Itβs pathetic, dangerous, and shows a total lack of respect for boundaries, safety, and basic human decency.β
After giving Erivo props for her quick response, the second commenter closed by saying, βYou didnβt get attention. You got exposed β as reckless, inconsiderate, and utterly unaware of the impact of your actions on a woman who has already lived through real horror.
βIf your goal was to be remembered, congratulations again: Youβre remembered for all the wrong reasons. And trust me β no one is impressed.β
A third person addressed their comment to Instagram, writing, βwhy is this person allowed to continually post videos of himself assaulting/harassing people? Itβs distressing and disgusting and unlawful. @instagram Please make him go away.β
Grande has not commented publicly on the incident.
The New York City premiere of βWicked: For Goodβ is scheduled for Monday. The second half of the two-part big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical βWickedβ opens wide in U.S. theaters Nov. 21.