Followers Demand Arrest of Person Who Seized Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande attended an event in Singapore for the regional premiere of Wicked: For Good

Devoted fans of the actress are urging that a man who leaped a barricade and grabbed the celebrity during Thursday's Wicked: For Good launch be taken into custody or removed from Singapore.

A circulating video shows the person identified as Johnson Wen bypassing media personnel and lunging at Grande while the cast made its way down a promenade accompanied by supporters.

Fellow actress Cynthia Erivo immediately pulled the surprised performer away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being escorted out of the premiere by guards.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram recently that he was "let go after being detained", though legal records showed that he was due to be present on the following morning. It is uncertain if he was charged.

Record of Incidents

This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Notorious Troublemaker", has disrupted a performance. His Instagram account features clips of him disrupting other star-studded functions, including rushing the platform at the pop singer's Sydney concert in June this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers concert in the city last winter.

"There needs to be action applied against him as this is evidently a criminal offence," stated an Instagram commenter, in a reply to a video Mr Wen posted of his act.

"You've done this repeatedly... how are you not behind bars?" a different Instagram user remarked.

Fans Voice Worry Over the Star's Safety

Numerous supporters accused Mr Wen for "causing further distress" Grande, who had discussed experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after a devastating incident at the end of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, resulting in the death of 22 people and wounding numerous individuals.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" said one more message on Instagram.

Several fans also criticised security officers at the Thursday event for not being sufficiently alert; while some demanded social media platforms to remove Mr Wen's content.

Aftermath and Event Details

In footage spreading on the internet, Grande appeared surprised when she was grabbed by the individual. Her co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed consoling her while Mr Wen was removed by guards.

Grande has remained silent on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as normal.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Hundreds of Singapore fans had queued up to meet the actors of Wicked

Many of fans had assembled in a sea of emerald and rose at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific launch in a Singapore mall, including several who had queued for as long as eight hours before it began.

The film, to be released on 21 November, is the sequel of a two-film interpretation of the well-known theatrical production Wicked, which revolves around the surprising bond between two very different sorceresses.

The show itself is a derivative of the 1900 story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who portrays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was dressed in a champagne pink sequin dress at the gathering while Erivo, who acts as the Elphaba, wore a sleek black dress embroidered with roses.

They were alongside fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.

The initial film, Wicked, was the highest-grossing film of last year in the UK, and scored 10 Academy Award nods, earning two for outstanding attire and production design.

Danielle Lee
Danielle Lee

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino reviews and player strategy development.