Followers Demand Custody of Individual Who Grabbed Ariana Grande
Passionate supporters of Ariana Grande are demanding that a man who breached a barrier and touched the celebrity during Thursday's Wicked: For Good launch be taken into custody or deported from Singapore.
A widely shared footage depicts the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside photographers and charging at Grande while the cast made its way down a promenade flanked by fans.
Cast member Cynthia Erivo quickly guided the stunned actress away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the gathering by event staff.
Mr Wen stated on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "let go after being detained", though court documents revealed that he was set to attend court on Friday morning. It is uncertain if he was faced legal action.
History of Incidents
This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Notorious Troublemaker", has invaded a concert or event. His Instagram profile includes recordings of him disrupting other star-studded functions, including jumping on stage at the pop singer's Sydney performance in earlier this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers performance in the city last December.
"There needs to be action enforced against him as this is evidently a criminal offence," commented an Instagram commenter, in a reply to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his actions.
"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" another Instagram user remarked.
Fans Voice Worry Over Grande's Well-being
Numerous supporters accused Mr Wen for "re-traumatising" Grande, who had discussed experiencing trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist explosion at the conclusion of her spring 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and harming many.
"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" commented another response on Instagram.
A number of fans also criticised event staff at the premiere for not being adequately prepared; while others demanded online networks to ban Mr Wen's content.
Reaction and Event Details
In footage spreading on the internet, Grande looked startled when she was approached by the individual. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted consoling her while Mr Wen was escorted away by security.
Grande has remained silent on the incident, and the remaining proceedings continued without further issues.
Numerous of supporters had congregated in a sea of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good regional launch in a Singapore mall, including some who had queued for as long as a significant duration before it began.
The movie, to be premiered on the 21st of November, is the follow-up of a two-film adaptation of the well-known Broadway and West End production Wicked, which revolves around the surprising relationship between two very different characters.
The musical itself is a spin-off of the twentieth-century book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, was adorned in a rosé sequin dress at the gathering while Erivo, who plays the villainous character, wore a elegant ensemble decorated with roses.
They were joined by fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.
The previous installment, Wicked, was the most successful motion picture of 2024 in the UK, and earned ten award recognitions, winning several for outstanding attire and artistic direction.