Man who grabbed Ariana Grande at “Wicked: For Good” premiere sentenced to prison

The man who was caught on camera rushing and grabbing Ariana Grande at last week's Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore is getting prison time.

On Monday, BBC News reported that influencer Johnson Wen, 26, was found guilty of being a public nuisance in Singaporean court and sentenced to nine days in prison. Wen, who was not represented in court, told the judge in mitigation that he would "not do it again".

Under Singaporean law, Wen could have been jailed for up to three months and fined up to S$2,000 (£1,167; $1,537).

Wen, an Australian influencer who goes by "Pyjama Man," sparked outrage at the Nov. 13 premiere of the Wicked sequel when he jumped over the barricade and rushed the red (or, in this case, yellow) carpet. Grande was walking hand in hand with fellow cast members Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum when Wen ran and grabbed her. Erivo jumped in action, fighting Wen off with help from security while Grande stood back, visibly shocked.

The Thursday incident immediately went viral on social media, with multiple videos from attendees showing the moment when Wen pushed past photographers to rush at Grande. In one video, TikTok user raphael.sli revealed that Wen crashed the carpet a second time, attempting to run after Grande again, but was caught by security before he could reach the Grammy winner.

Outrage over the incident only grew as fans learned that Wen has a history of jumping barriers and stage-crashing at public events. The self-described "troll" also went on stage at concerts by Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and The Chainsmokers.

Later on Thursday, Wen posted a video of the incident to his Instagram grid and thanked Grande in the post's caption.

"Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You," Wen wrote, alongside a heart emoji.

Wen was arrested the next day and charged with public nuisance, to which he pleaded guilty.

Grande has not publicly commented on the situation but her fan base swiftly hit back at Wen's behavior and accused the influencer of re-traumatizing the singer, whose 2017 concert in Manchester, England, was disrupted by a terrorist attack that killed 22 attendees. The "7 Rings" singer has long been open about her anxiety and PTSD at large public events following the bombing.

Since the Thursday incident, Grande's Wicked cast has continued to have her back. Marissa Bode, who portrays Nessarose Thropp, spoke out about the incident on her TikTok, objecting to those calling Wen a "fan" of Grande's.

"'But they're a fan!' Okay. Then they're a fan and a loser," Bode argued. "This is what I mean when I say social media brings out the worst in people. Oh, did you get your views? Did you get your likes? Guess what you also did? You made somebody feel incredibly unsafe, but just — no remorse. That goes over your head. You're a bad person."

Bode added that she doesn't believe "women, or really anybody, should be expected to move with grace or respond with kindness when they've been violated in that way."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

On Saturday, Erivo alluded to the incident while during a Q&A with Grande and the cast at a special Screen Actors Guild screening of the movie.

"We have come through some shit. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings," she stated at the event attended by Entertainment Weekly. "I mean, f---, even this last week. Let's be honest, for f---'s sakes, we've had to really deal with some stuff, and this movie has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses."

More in Celebrity

Alleged ‘Sugar Daddy’ Keith Olbermann Responds After Article Says He Spent $15K on Jewelry For Olivia Nuzzi

Mediaite

615

Liev Schreiber hospitalized for testing after health scare

Entertainment Weekly

George Clooney Reveals the Failure He Learned the Most from in His Life — and, Yes, It’s “That” Movie from the ’90s (Exclusive)

People

 

 

 

 

 

Men with ED: Do This 1 Simple Habit Every Day,See What Happens in a Week [Video]ManOK

Ad

 

At that point, Grande became visibly emotional, tearing up as Erivo continued, "That is the thing that is special about this piece. And I'll miss being in this group of people this constantly. Because you don't get a group of people this close often on a set. You don't earn family like this often, and we have. F---ing lucky thing to be a part of."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly