Getty ImagesAriana Grande fans are demanding that a man who jumped the barricade and grabbed the actress at the Wicked: For Good premiere on Thursday be arrested or deported from Singapore.
A now-viral video shows Australia’s Johnson Wen shoving photographers and charging at Grande as the cast walked down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly snatched the stunned actress away from Mr Wen, who was seen escorted out of the event by security guards.
Mr. Wen posted on Instagram late Thursday that he was “free after being arrested,” although court documents show he was due in court Friday morning. It is unclear whether he has been charged.
This is not the first time Mr Wen, who describes himself as the “most hated troll”, has invaded a concert or event. His Instagram feed includes clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry’s concert in Sydney in June this year and similarly at the Chainsmokers show in the city last December.
“We must act [taken] against him as this is clearly a criminal offense,” wrote one Instagram user, in a comment on a video Mr. Wen posted of his action.
“Oh wow, so you do this a lot…how are you not in jail?” wrote one Instagram user.
Several fans accused Mr. Wen of “re-traumatizing” Grande, who spoke of post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide attack at the end of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.
“Ariana has been through so many scary things…and at her concert in Manchester, did you think it would be fun to jump the barricade?” said another comment on Instagram.
Some fans also criticized security guards at Thursday’s event for not being vigilant enough; while others called on social media platforms to ban Mr Wen’s videos.
In clips circulating online, Grande appeared shocked when she was grabbed by the intruder. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen comforting her while Mr Wen was escorted away by security.
Grande did not comment on the incident and the rest of the event proceeded as normal.
The BBC has contacted Singapore police and immigration authorities for comment.
Getty ImagesHundreds of fans had gathered in a sea of green and pink at the Asia-Pacific premiere of Wicked: For Good at a Singapore mall, including some who had queued up to eight hours before it started.
The film, which will be released on November 21, is the second in a two-part adaptation of the popular Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which focuses on the unlikely friendship between two very different witches.
The musical itself is a spin-off of the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, was decked out in a champagne pink sequin dress at the premiere while Erivo, who plays the wicked witch, wore a black tube top embroidered with roses.
They were joined by their co-star Jeff Goldblum.
The first film, Wicked, was the highest-grossing film of 2024 in the UK and earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including two for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
