An Australian man has been charged with being a public nuisance after jumping a barricade and grabbing pop star Ariana Grande at the Asia-Pacific premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore.
The 26-year-old, identified as Johnson Wen, pushed past photographers and lunged at Grande as the cast walked down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans. Co-star Cynthia Erivo intervened, helping to pull Grande away from Wen. Video clips of the incident quickly went viral online.
Wen posted on Instagram Thursday that he was “free after being arrested,” but on Friday, a Singapore court formally charged him with causing a public nuisance. Reports indicate he will plead guilty. If convicted, he could face a fine of up to S$2,000 (approximately $1,540 or £1,170).
This is not Wen’s first disruption of celebrity events. His social media feed shows previous incidents, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry’s Sydney concert in June and a performance by The Chainsmokers last December.
The incident drew widespread condemnation online. Fans expressed concern that Wen’s actions could retraumatize Grande, who survived a suicide bombing at her 2017 Manchester concert that killed 22 people and injured hundreds. “Ariana has been through so many scary things… and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?” one user commented.
Some fans also criticized security at the premiere, calling for stricter precautions and urging social media platforms to remove Wen’s videos. Grande has not publicly commented on the incident.
The premiere, held at a Singapore mall, attracted hundreds of fans, some of whom had queued for up to eight hours. Grande, who plays Glinda, the good witch, appeared in a champagne pink sequin dress, while Erivo, portraying the wicked witch, wore a black tube gown embroidered with roses. They were joined by co-star Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard.
Wicked: For Good is the second installment in a two-part adaptation of the popular musical Wicked, which explores the unlikely friendship between two very different witches. The first film, Wicked, was the highest-grossing movie in the UK in 2024 and won two Oscars for Best Costume and Production Design out of 10 nominations. The sequel is set for release on 21 November.
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