Key Points
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A fan rushed Ariana Grande on the yellow carpet at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good.
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Cynthia Erivo pushed back before the man was reportedly arrested at the scene.
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The fan shared videos of himself on Instagram at the Universal Studios Singapore theme park, where the premiere occurred.
A fan rushed Ariana Grande on the yellow carpet at Thursday’s Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, with fellow star Cynthia Erivo springing into action and pushing back against the man before he was reportedly arrested.
In multiple attendee-shared videos from the event, a man is seen pushing past photographers as he runs toward Grande, who holds her arms out as he approaches, before attempting to grab her around from the side.
Erivo, who was standing next to fellow Wicked film series star Michelle Yeoh in the moment, also rushed toward the man and is seen pushing him away while other members of the security team run over to assist the cast.
Yeoh then pulls Grande away from the resulting tussle before the duo starts to walk away.
Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty
Michelle Yeoh, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, director Jon M. Chu at ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere
The man, Johnson Wen, also known as “Pyjama Man,” later identified himself online as the person who rushed Grande, sharing a video of himself sitting outside the gates of Universal Studios Singapore, where the premiere took place.
“I finally met Ariana Grande tonight,” he posted, before another video clip sees him heralding the moment as one in which “finally, the dream came true” to “meet” Grande. He then shared a clip of himself rushing Grande on the carpet.
“I’m free after being arrested,” he wrote in a subsequent Instagram Story, which came after another clip showed him being swarmed by security officials and escorted off the carpet.
Upon posting a video of the incident to his grid, Wen thanked Grande in the clip’s caption.
“Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” Wen wrote, alongside sharing a heart emoji.
Under the post, fans hit back at Wen’s behavior, with a Wicked fan account asking, “Do you think this is okay? This is sick! It ruined the experience for fans who dreamed of this moment and put lives at risk. All for pure ego! Seek help.”
Referencing Grande’s openness about anxiety and PTSD at large public events following the 2017 bombing attack at her concert in the United Kingdom, another commented, “After all the trauma Ari has been through, this is beyond disrespectful. Not just to her, but to the cast and to all the fans. It’s literally infuriating. You should be ashamed.”
Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked: For Good’
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Grande and Wicked: For Good distributor Universal for comment.
Wen has received additional criticism on social media for his antics at celebrity-focused events. The self-described “troll most hated” online has posted videos of himself rushing stages where the likes of Katy Perry, the Weeknd, and the Chainsmokers performed.
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Additionally, Wen has shared videos of himself running onto the field at sporting events, including during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final match.
Wicked: For Good is in theaters Nov. 21.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly