SINGAPORE / LOS ANGELES: A man who rushed at pop star Ariana Grande during the premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore has been sentenced to nine days in jail.
The incident occurred on November 13 at the Wicked: For Good premiere. Videos show 26-year-old Johnson Wen jumping over security barricades and aggressively embracing Grande on the red carpet.
Grande’s co-star, Cynthia Erivo, quickly intervened, shoving Wen away and ensuring the singer was safe.
Security personnel detained Wen, though he reportedly tried to jump the barricade a second time before being stopped.
Wen, who goes by “Pyjama Man” online, later posted a video of the incident on social media with the caption: “Dear Ariana Grande, Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
Wen was arrested on November 14 and charged with being a public nuisance. On November 17, he pleaded guilty in Singapore’s court.
Judge Christopher Goh cited Wen’s history of similar incidents, describing him as a “serial intruder” who had previously disrupted events featuring Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Priyanka Chopra, and the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final.
“Perhaps you thought the same would occur here, but Mr. Wen, you are wrong,” Judge Goh said.
“You should be mindful that there are always consequences for one’s actions.” He added that Wen appeared to act out of attention-seeking motives, disregarding the safety of others.
Wen told the court he would “not do it again,” a statement Judge Goh questioned. Wen reaffirmed he intended to stop such behaviour.
Prosecutors had asked for a one-week sentence, but the court handed down nine days.
Reactions from cast and fans
Cynthia Erivo later spoke about the incident during a special Screen Actors Guild screening in Los Angeles.
“We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings. Even this last week,” she said.
“This movie has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses.”
Grande did not comment directly on the Singapore incident but shared photos from the red carpet on Instagram, captioning: “Thank you Singapore ♡ we love you.”
Other cast members, including Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose Thropp, expressed concerns on social media.
In a TikTok video, Bode described Wen as a “bad person” and criticised those defending his behaviour as fans. She added that his actions had made her feel unsafe.
Authorities and media reports note that Wen has a history of disrupting public events. He has previously rushed onto stages at concerts and sports events.
