Fans Call for Detainment of Person Who Touched Ariana Grande
Passionate followers of the pop star are demanding that a individual who breached a barricade and seized the performer during Thursday's Wicked: For Good launch be detained or removed from Singapore.
A circulating video depicts the person identified as Johnson Wen pushing past photographers and charging at Grande while the actors made its way down a yellow carpet accompanied by onlookers.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo promptly wrested the shocked actress away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the premiere by security officers.
Mr Wen shared on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "free after being taken in", though legal records revealed that he was due to be present on the following morning. It is unknown if he was faced legal action.
Pattern of Event Invasions
This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Notorious Troublemaker", has crashed a celebrity gathering. His Instagram profile contains clips of him disturbing other celebrity events, including rushing the platform at the pop singer's Sydney concert in earlier this year and in a like fashion during The Chainsmokers event in the city last year.
"Steps should be implemented applied against him as this is obviously a legal violation," commented an Instagram commenter, in a response to a video Mr Wen posted of his behavior.
"You've done this repeatedly... how are you not behind bars?" a different Instagram user questioned.
Fans Express Concern Over Grande's Well-being
Several fans blamed Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had discussed dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a devastating incident at the conclusion of her May 2017 performance in Manchester, claiming the lives of 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?" said another message on Instagram.
A number of attendees also criticised guards at the premiere for not being adequately prepared; while different individuals called for social media platforms to block Mr Wen's videos.
Aftermath and Event Details
In videos shared widely, Grande appeared startled when she was touched by the man. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed reassuring her while Mr Wen was removed by staff.
Grande has not commented on the event, and the remaining proceedings proceeded as normal.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered in a sea of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore shopping center, including some who had queued for as long as eight hours before it began.
The movie, to be premiered on 21 November, is the follow-up of a two-film adaptation of the well-known Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which centers on the unlikely bond between two distinct characters.
The show itself is a adaptation of the twentieth-century children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who portrays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was adorned in a light pink sparkling outfit at the gathering while Erivo, who plays the villainous character, wore a sleek black dress embroidered with roses.
They were accompanied by co-star Jeff Goldblum.
The initial film, Wicked, was the top-earning movie of 2024 in the UK, and received 10 Oscar nominations, securing two for best costume and production design.