Australian Man Charged for Grabbing Ariana Grande at Singapore Premiere

Fri Nov 14 2025 13:22:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Johnson Wen faces charges for public nuisance after an incident at the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere where he grabbed celebrity Ariana Grande, sparking outrage among fans.

An Australian man named Johnson Wen has been charged with being a public nuisance after grabbing Ariana Grande during the Asia-Pacific premiere of 'Wicked: For Good' in Singapore. The incident, which was captured on video, provoked widespread outrage and has raised questions about security measures at celebrity events. Wen, who has a history of disruptive behavior at events, intends to plead guilty and faces a potential fine of up to S$2000. Fans have expressed concern for Grande, who has previously experienced trauma from a terrorist attack.

A man who jumped over a barricade and grabbed actress Ariana Grande at a Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore has been charged with being a public nuisance.

A now viral video shows the Australian man, Johnson Wen, pushing past photographers and charging at Grande while the cast made its way down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans. Co-star Cynthia Erivo could be seen wrestling the stunned actress away from Mr Wen.

The 26-year-old had posted on Instagram late on Thursday that he was free after being arrested.

However, on Friday afternoon, he was charged with being a public nuisance by a Singapore court. The incident caused massive outrage in the city state.

Local media reports say Mr Wen, who was unrepresented, intends to plead guilty. This is not the first time Mr Wen, who describes himself as a Troll Most Hated, has invaded a concert or event.

His Instagram feed includes clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry's Sydney concert in June this year. He did the same at a concert by The Chainsmokers last December.

If found guilty, he may be fined up to S$2000 ($1540; £1170).

Fans had earlier called for him to be arrested and deported.

There needs to be action [taken] against him as this is clearly a criminal offence, wrote an Instagram user, in a comment on a video Mr Wen posted of his act.

Some accused Mr Wen of re-traumatising Grande, who has spoken of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at the end of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.

Fans also criticized security officers at the Thursday event for not being vigilant enough, and some called for social media platforms to ban Mr Wen's videos.

In clips circulating online, Grande appeared shocked when she was grabbed by the intruder. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen comforting her while Mr Wen was escorted away by security.

Grande has not commented on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as planned.

Hundreds of fans had gathered in a sea of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific premiere in a Singapore mall, including some who had stood in line for as long as eight hours before it began.

The movie, set to be released on 21 November, is the second of a two-part adaptation of the popular Broadway and West End musical focusing on the unlikely friendship between two very different witches. Grande plays the good witch Glinda.