During the “Wicked: For Good” movie premiere red carpet event in Singapore, an Australian fan breached security and came up to pop superstar Ariana Grande. The 26-year-old man, Johnson Wen, was able to rush past photographers to get to Grande, very much to the alarm of both the singer and the people attending the event. Grande’s co-star, Cynthia Erivo, quickly came into action, pushing the intruder away and protectively embracing Grande after the incident.
Singaporean police wasted no time, sentencing Wen to nine days in jail for public nuisance. Wen was deported after his sentence and barred from ever entering Singapore again, according to the country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. The incident flared up outrage across Singapore, where fans and the public showed concern over Grande’s safety and mental health.
Johnson Wen, who goes by the username “theTroll Hated” on all his social media platforms, has reportedly gained notoriety for pulling similar stunts at major entertainment and sporting events around the world. Following his release after the Singapore incident, Wen took to Instagram to say he felt “free,” and he has yet to express remorse for the repeated behavior. Ariana Grande has not commented publicly, but Cynthia Erivo said on NBC’s Today show that she was more concerned with trying to shield Grande, highlighting the unpredictable dangers celebrities can experience at any public event.
