Man who grabbed Ariana Grande at ‘Wicked’ premiere in Singapore gets nine days in jail
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Nov 17, 2025, 23:00 IST
A Singapore court sentenced Johnson Wen to nine days in jail for grabbing Ariana Grande at the Wicked For Good premiere. The 26 year old pleaded guilty to being a public nuisance and has a history of jumping security barriers at major events. Videos showed him suddenly hugging Grande before being restrained. Prosecutors called him a serial intruder. Cynthia Erivo later acknowledged the stressful incident.
A man who grabbed Ariana Grande during the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore has been sentenced to nine days in jail. The case was reported by The Straits Times and confirmed in court on Monday.
The man, 26-yearold Johnson Wen, pleaded guilty to one count of being a public nuisance. Police in Singapore said Johnson Wen has a long history of jumping security barriers at concerts and major events. He has previously tried the same thing at shows by Katy Perry, The Weeknd and even at the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final.
Judge Christopher Goh, who oversaw the hearing said that Johnson Wen had a record of doing this without facing real consequences. According to The Straits Times, the judge told him: “Perhaps you thought the same would occur here, but you are wrong.” He added that Johnson Wen seemed “attention seeking” and ignored public safety.
The incident happened on November 13th, when Ariana Grande was walking the yellow carpet with her Wicked co-stars. Videos shared online showed Wen jumping over the barricade and grabbing Grande in a sudden hug. Actress Cynthia Erivo stepped in immediately and pushed Johnson Wen off to protect her co-star.
Security pulled Johnson Wen away but officials said he tried to come back a second time. This time, guards stopped him before he made contact.
Johnson Wen was arrested the next day, November 14th and has remained in custody since then.
Later, Johnson Wen posted a video on social media saying, “Dear Ariana Grande, thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you.” The video added to public anger with many users calling him “dangerous” and “unpredictable.”
Prosecutors told the court that Johnson Wen is a “serial intruder” and asked for at least a week in jail. Judge Goh asked Johnson Wen in court if he planned to stop. Johnson Wen replied, “I won’t do it again, Your Honor,” as reported by The Straits Times.
Cynthia Erivo also addressed the scare at a later Wicked event in Los Angeles. In a video shared online she told fans, “We have come through some stuff… even this last week. For real.” Her comments referred to the stress the cast has been dealing with after the Singapore incident.
Ariana Grande has not made a direct public statement about the grab but was seen checked by Cynthia Erivo after the incident to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
The man, 26-yearold Johnson Wen, pleaded guilty to one count of being a public nuisance. Police in Singapore said Johnson Wen has a long history of jumping security barriers at concerts and major events. He has previously tried the same thing at shows by Katy Perry, The Weeknd and even at the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final.
Judge Christopher Goh, who oversaw the hearing said that Johnson Wen had a record of doing this without facing real consequences. According to The Straits Times, the judge told him: “Perhaps you thought the same would occur here, but you are wrong.” He added that Johnson Wen seemed “attention seeking” and ignored public safety.
The incident happened on November 13th, when Ariana Grande was walking the yellow carpet with her Wicked co-stars. Videos shared online showed Wen jumping over the barricade and grabbing Grande in a sudden hug. Actress Cynthia Erivo stepped in immediately and pushed Johnson Wen off to protect her co-star.
Security pulled Johnson Wen away but officials said he tried to come back a second time. This time, guards stopped him before he made contact.
Johnson Wen was arrested the next day, November 14th and has remained in custody since then.
Later, Johnson Wen posted a video on social media saying, “Dear Ariana Grande, thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you.” The video added to public anger with many users calling him “dangerous” and “unpredictable.”
Prosecutors told the court that Johnson Wen is a “serial intruder” and asked for at least a week in jail. Judge Goh asked Johnson Wen in court if he planned to stop. Johnson Wen replied, “I won’t do it again, Your Honor,” as reported by The Straits Times.
Cynthia Erivo also addressed the scare at a later Wicked event in Los Angeles. In a video shared online she told fans, “We have come through some stuff… even this last week. For real.” Her comments referred to the stress the cast has been dealing with after the Singapore incident.
Ariana Grande has not made a direct public statement about the grab but was seen checked by Cynthia Erivo after the incident to make sure she wasn’t hurt.