An Australian man has been sentenced to nine days in jail in Singapore for grabbing actress Ariana Grande at a movie premiere.
Incident Details
Johnson Wen, 26, was found guilty of being a public nuisance. The incident occurred last Thursday at the Asia premiere for "Wicked: For Good" in Singapore. Videos posted on social media platforms showed Wen jumping a barrier, approaching Grande, and grabbing her shoulders. Co-star Cynthia Erivo intervened, separating Wen from Grande, before security staff escorted him away.
Wen reportedly attempted a second intrusion after being removed, at which point security personnel restrained him. The following day, Singapore police arrested Wen and charged him with public nuisance. He subsequently pleaded guilty to the charge.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
During his trial on Monday, Singapore media reported that the court heard details of Wen's two attempts to intrude on the event. Prosecutors sought a one-week jail term, citing Wen's history as a "serial intruder" who allegedly publicized his behavior for online popularity.
Wen has previously posted videos of himself disrupting concerts by artists such as Katy Perry and The Weeknd, and intruding on sporting events. Australian media has reported that he is banned from certain stadiums and has incurred fines for such actions.
Wen, who was not legally represented in the Singapore court, stated in mitigation that he would not repeat the offense. Under Singapore's public nuisance laws, the maximum penalty for such an offense is three months' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.
Reactions
Grande has not issued a public statement regarding the incident. She has continued public appearances at events in Los Angeles. Two days after the event, Cynthia Erivo referenced "this last week" when discussing her relationship with Grande during the filming of "Wicked: For Good."
The incident led to calls in Singapore for Wen's arrest and deportation. Some individuals noted Grande's prior experience with post-traumatic stress disorder following a 2017 concert attack in Manchester.