Video of the man grabbing Ariana Grande on Thursday
A man who charged at and grabbed Ariana Grande at a film premiere in Singapore has pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance.
The actress was in Singapore for the premiere of Wicked: For Good when the incident happened on Thursday.
A viral video showed the fan climbing a barricade and pushing past photographers before grabbing her. That’s when co-star Cynthia Erivo stepped in, and security quickly pulled him away.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Johnson Wen, appeared in a Singaporean court on Thursday and pleaded guilty.
Local media reported that Wen could face up to three months in jail, a fine of S$2,000 (£1,168), or both.
Wen has a history of similar violations, having previously rushed the stage at concerts by Katy Perry and The Weeknd, and disrupted the start of the men’s 100m final at the 2023 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Australian national, who uses the handle pyjamamann on Instagram, appeared to brag by posting footage of the incident online.
“@arianagrande @wickedmovie Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” he wrote on Thursday.
Grande paused to compose herself after the intrusion. She was visibly shaken.
She did not mention the incident on her own Instagram, but posted photos with the caption “thank you, Singapore”, adding “we love you”.
The singer has previously spoken about suffering PTSD after her 2017 Manchester Arena concert was bombed, killing 22 people.
Grande plays Galinda Upland in Wicked: For Good, who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch, while Erivo stars as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.
The film opens in UK cinemas on November 21.
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