A 26-year-old Australian man has been deported from Singapore and banned from re-entering the city-state after rushing onto the red carpet at the premiere of “Wicked: For Good,” which featured singer and actress Ariana Grande. The individual, identified as Johnson Wen, was sent back to Australia on November 12, 2023, following a brief jail sentence for public nuisance.
Wen’s actions drew significant attention during the premiere held at Universal Studios Singapore. Video footage captured the moment he jumped over a barricade and approached Grande, placing his arm around her before being restrained by co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh. Following the incident, Erivo expressed her concern for Grande’s safety, stating, “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe.” She added, “I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things.”
Local authorities responded promptly, with Wen being sentenced to nine days in jail for his disruptive behavior at the event. A spokesperson for Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority confirmed that Wen has been barred from returning to Singapore. The judge overseeing Wen’s case criticized him for seeking attention and emphasized that his actions would have consequences, as reported by Channel News Asia.
Wen, who gained notoriety on social media as “Pyjama Man,” has a history of similar incidents, including rushing the stage at a Katy Perry concert in Sydney earlier this year. After the Singapore premiere, he posted a video on Instagram, thanking Grande for allowing him to join her on the carpet. In a message to NBC News, Wen described himself as a “mega fan” of Grande, expressing his long-held dream of meeting her.
The incident has sparked criticism among Grande’s fans, particularly given her previous experiences with trauma. The singer has been open about her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following the 2017 bombing at her concert in Manchester, which resulted in the loss of 22 lives.
In a related note, “Wicked: For Good” has achieved remarkable success at the box office, grossing an estimated $150 million in the United States and $226 million worldwide during its opening weekend. This figure marks the largest debut for a Broadway adaptation, surpassing the record previously set by the first “Wicked” installment last year. Universal Pictures, which produced the film, is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.
The events surrounding the premiere highlight the importance of maintaining safety and respect at public events, particularly for artists who may have experienced trauma in their careers.
