Australian Man Jailed After Grabbing Ariana Grande at ‘Wicked’ Premiere

The Australian man who grabbed Ariana Grande on the yellow carpet at the Wicked: For Good premiere has been put behind bars in Singapore, following his court appearance this week. 

Johnson Wen, 26, was arrested hours after his disturbance and sentenced to nine days for being a public nuisance.

Wen has already served four days and will remain in jail for another five. In court, Singapore District Judge Christopher Goh said, “This act was premeditated.” 

Wen appeared in court via videolink, seeming puzzled while prosecutors read the charges, but ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge. 

“I won’t do it again, Your Honour. I am going to stop getting into trouble,” said Wen.

Judge Goh went on to say that the Singapore court must “send a signal to like-minded individuals… that we will not condone any act that potentially undermines the reputation of Singapore as a safe country.”

Wen received a sentence of nine days, but according to Singapore’s public nuisance laws, he could have been given a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.

What happened at the Wicked: For Good premiere

The incident occurred at Universal Studios Singapore during the world premiere of Wicked: For Good. Internet personality, Wen, jumped a barricade, grabbed Grande by the shoulders, and waved to the crowd, while the star appeared visibly shaken. 

In the past, Wen has ambushed other celebrities, including Katy Perry and The Weeknd, which Judge Goh said shows “a pattern of behaviour, which suggests that you will do it again.”

Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo stepped in before security pulled him away, with videos of the moment having been viewed millions of times on social media.

“You seem to be attention seeking, thinking only of yourself and not the safety of others when committing these acts,” said Judge Goh. “You should be mindful that there are always consequences for one’s actions.”

Despite the disruption, the cast continued the premiere without other incidents. Grande, who has previously spoken about her PTSD following the Manchester Arena bombing, has not publicly commented. Grande’s co-star, Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose Thropp, has called Wen a “loser.”

It is unclear if any further action will be taken against Wen after Singaporean authorities release him.