‘Wicked’ Premiere Incident: Man Banned From Singapore After Accosting Ariana Grande
Singaporean authorities have deported and barred Australian national Johnson Wen, 26, from re-entering the country following an incident at the premiere of “Wicked: For Good” earlier this month. Wen rushed the yellow carpet, physically accosted star Ariana grande, and was afterward arrested and charged.
Wen arrived in Singapore on a 90-day social-visit pass intending to attend the film premiere and vacation,according to the Straits Times. Video footage shows wen jumping over a fan barricade and running toward Grande, grabbing her around the neck and shoulders before being intervened by co-star Cynthia Erivo.
He was charged with being a public nuisance days after the November 17 incident and convicted, receiving a nine-day jail sentence. During his trial, Wen stated he was “going to stop,” as reported by the Straits Times. However, he later re-shared video of the incident on Instagram with the caption, “Dear Ariana Grande thanks for letting me join the Red Carpet 💛.”
Wen has a history of disrupting celebrity events, including concerts by Katy Perry and The Weeknd in Australia. “Wicked: For Good,” the first of two films directed by Jon M. Chu and also starring Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode, and Jonathan Bailey, premiered on November 22, a year after the initial “Wicked” film release.
