Additional Coverage:
Australian Man Deported from Singapore After Rushing Ariana Grande at “Wicked” Premiere
Singapore – An Australian man who breached security to approach film star Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of “Wicked: For Good” has been deported and banned from re-entering the city-state. Johnson Wen, 26, completed a nine-day jail sentence for public nuisance before being sent back to Australia, according to local media reports.
The incident occurred during the highly anticipated film’s opening night at Universal Studios Singapore. Wen reportedly jumped a barricade and put his arm around Grande.
Viral clips from the event show Grande’s co-star, Cynthia Erivo, quickly intervening, pushing Wen away before security guards apprehended him. Footage also shows Erivo and others on the red carpet comforting Grande following the disruption.
Wen was arrested hours later and charged with being a public nuisance. Last week, a court sentenced him to nine days in jail. Despite the legal repercussions, Wen later shared a video on Instagram, thanking Grande for “letting (him) jump on the Yellow Carpet” with her.
Singapore District Judge Christopher Goh, who issued the jail sentence, described Wen as “attention seeking.” The judge noted Wen’s alleged history of disrupting other global sports events and concerts, suggesting a “pattern of behaviour” indicating a likelihood of reoffending.
While the maximum penalty for public nuisance in Singapore can include three months in jail, a $1,500 fine, or both, Wen’s sentence was nine days. He told the court he was “wrong” and pledged not to repeat his actions.
“Wicked: For Good” was released in the United States on Friday. Stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have been prominent throughout the movie musical’s press tours. In a December 2024 interview with “CBS Mornings,” Erivo revealed that the duo made a pact early in production to mutually support each other.
“Before we started shooting, both of us had a conversation about making sure that we would take care of each other and make the space that we needed for each other, and take, you know, give each other what we needed, be generous with each other in this thing, because we knew it was a big undertaking,” Erivo stated. “We knew we had a big responsibility, but we knew neither of us could really do that alone.”