A man who rushed toward Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of “Wicked: For good” on Thursday night has been charged with a public nuisance offense. Johnson Wen, 26, of Australia, faces a fine of up to S$2000 (approximately $1,540 USD) if convicted.
The incident,captured in a viral video,showed Wen jumping over a barricade and approaching Grande on the red carpet before being intercepted by her co-star,Cynthia Erivo. the charge comes amid heightened scrutiny of fan interactions at high-profile events and raises questions about security measures at premieres. Wen has reportedly indicated he intends to plead guilty.
According to BBC News, Wen-who uses the moniker “Pyjama Man” on Instagram-has a history of attempting to approach celebrities at events, including concerts by Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and The Chainsmokers. His social media accounts document these attempts, and a recent post indicated he was “free after being arrested” following the Singapore incident.
The incident sparked widespread criticism online,with social media users expressing concern over wen’s repeated behavior and questioning why he hadn’t faced legal consequences sooner. One comment on his post read, “oh wow so you do this a lot… how aren’t you in jail?” another user stated, “There needs to be an action done against him as this is clearly a criminal offense.”
Grande and the cast of “Wicked: For Good” are currently on a global promotional tour, with their final stop scheduled for New york City on Monday, ahead of the film’s release on November 21.
