Supporters Demand Arrest of Person Who Seized Ariana Grande

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

Passionate supporters of Ariana Grande are calling for that a man who breached a barrier and touched the celebrity during the recent Wicked: For Good launch be detained or expelled from Singapore.

A viral video reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside photographers and charging at Grande while the cast walked down a promenade flanked by fans.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo promptly guided the stunned star away from Mr Wen, who was observed being led away of the gathering by security officers.

Mr Wen posted on Instagram recently that he was "free after being detained", though legal records indicated that he was scheduled to attend court on Friday morning. It is uncertain if he was faced legal action.

Record of Event Invasions

This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Controversial Figure", has crashed a performance. His Instagram profile includes clips of him disrupting other star-studded functions, including jumping on stage at the pop singer's Sydney show in recently and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers event in the city last winter.

"There needs to be action enforced against him as this is clearly a criminal offence," wrote an Instagram follower, in a response 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 remarked.

Supporters Show Disapproval Over the Star's Safety

Numerous followers criticized Mr Wen for "causing further distress" Grande, who had discussed dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at the conclusion of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, claiming the lives of 22 people and wounding numerous individuals.

"After everything she's faced... including the Manchester attack, you considered it entertaining to rush the barrier?" said one more comment on Instagram.

A number of fans also faulted guards at the gathering for not being vigilant enough; while others demanded social media platforms to ban Mr Wen's uploads.

Response and Event Details

In clips circulating online, Grande looked shocked when she was touched by the individual. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed consoling her while Mr Wen was led out by staff.

Grande has not issued a statement on the situation, and the rest of the event continued without further issues.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Numerous of Singapore attendees had waited to see the performers of Wicked

Hundreds of fans had gathered in a crowd of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore venue, including a number who had waited for as long as many hours before it started.

The film, to be launched on 21 November, is the sequel of a dual adaptation of the popular theatrical show Wicked, which centers on the unexpected friendship between two contrasting characters.

The show itself is a spin-off of the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who plays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was decked out in a light pink sparkling outfit at the premiere while Erivo, who acts as the villainous character, wore a black tube gown embroidered with roses.

They were alongside co-star Jeff Goldblum.

The previous installment, Wicked, was the most successful motion picture of 2024 in the UK, and scored a dozen award recognitions, earning a pair for outstanding attire and production design.

Robert Armstrong
Robert Armstrong

A theoretical physicist and science writer with a passion for making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience.