The Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore took an alarming turn when Australian serial intruder Johnson Wen managed to slip past security and latch onto Ariana Grande on the yellow carpet.
Clips circulating on social media, shared by both attendees and Wen himself (who brands his antics online under the name Pyjama Man), show him vaulting a barrier, sprinting along the carpet and throwing an arm around Grande’s shoulders. She appears visibly startled and is jostled as he pulls her towards him.
Cynthia Erivo reacts almost instantly, moving in to shove Wen away from Grande, while Michelle Yeoh steps forward to shield the singer, wrapping her in a protective hug. Security personnel then wrestle Wen to the ground as Grande clutches her chest and holds onto Yeoh. Erivo returns to her co-star’s side and the two embrace, with Grande still clearly shaken.
For Grande, the encounter is particularly troubling in light of her history. She has previously spoken about living with severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress following the 2017 bombing at her Manchester concert, in which 22 people were killed.
Later that evening, Wen uploaded footage of the incident to his Instagram, framing it as a playful interaction with Grande. He posted numerous stories, including one captioned,
“I finally met Ariana Grande tonight!!!”
Late on, he posted a clip at an airport claiming he had been released after being arrested. Grande, Erivo, Yeoh and Universal Pictures have, so far, not commented publicly.
Comments under the post were overwhelmingly critical of his behaviour, with many praising Cynthia Erivo for stepping in to protect Grande. One user wrote, “Cynthia is truly an angel,” while another asked, “Are you happy now? Does it bring you joy to disturb celebrities? That’s sad.”
Wen is already well known to authorities and live-event organisers. In June, he rushed the stage at Katy Perry’s show at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena during her Lifetimes tour, putting his arm around the performer mid-song before being removed by security.
New South Wales Police later confirmed he was arrested and charged with entering enclosed land and obstructing a worker.
His tally of disruptions also includes invading the stage at The Weeknd’s 2024 Marvel Stadium concert, delaying the men’s 100-metres final at the Paris Olympics by running onto the track, storming the pitch during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and confronting cricketer Virat Kohli after invading the field at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final in India.
