Man Who Approached Ariana Grande at Film Launch Prohibited from Singapore

Ariana Grande at an event
The incident occurred during the red carpet tour of the musical film visit in Singapore

A man from Australia who jumped past a barrier and touched Hollywood star Ariana Grande has been sent away and barred from Singapore.

Johnson Wen, twenty-six, was given a sentence to over a week in jail for being a public nuisance and has now been "barred from re-entering Singapore," Singaporean immigration authorities told Singaporean press.

He forced his way through camera crews and approached aggressively the celebrity, who was present at the Asian debut for Wicked: For Good on 13 November. Co-performer Cynthia Erivo intervened to remove him from Grande.

He has a background of disrupting concerts and high-profile gatherings, including rushing the stage at a Katy Perry performance in Sydney in the past June.

The occurrence provoked strong reactions in Singapore, with numerous people accusing him of re-traumatising Grande.

The celebrity has mentioned experiencing PTSD after a terrorist bombing at her performance in the UK city in May 2017 took the lives of 22 individuals and affected hundreds.

During Wen's trial, the court heard he had made efforts to breach on the film's premiere multiple times, according to Singaporean media.

He then made a second attempt to jump the barricades. Protection personnel intercepted him and held him in place.

The man subsequently shared videos appreciating the celebrity for allowing his presence and said he was "released."

Police took him into custody the following day and brought charges against him with causing a disturbance, to which he confessed.

The Court Judge the judicial official was cited by Channel News Asia as stating that the man sought attention, noting that he was wrong to think he would not face any penalties.

Grande has not spoken about the incident.

Cynthia Erivo spoke about the incident to NBC, remarking that she "only aimed to verify my friend was safe."

"I'm sure he didn't intend us harm, but you never know with these incidents, and I aimed to ensure that she was OK. That was my immediate response," she commented.

Natalie Vega
Natalie Vega

A seasoned esports journalist with a passion for uncovering the stories behind top players and teams.