Man Who Lunged at Ariana Grande at Premiere Gets Jail Time

An Australian man has been sentenced to nine days in jail in Singapore after grabbing pop star Ariana Grande during the Asia premiere of Wicked: For Good.

According to Singaporean media, 26-year-old Johnson Wen was found guilty of causing a public nuisance for the high-profile incident last Thursday.

Videos shared on social media show Wen jumping over barriers and lunging at Grande, grabbing her shoulders while she looked visibly shocked. The incident caused public outrage, with many in Singapore calling for his arrest and deportation.

Some critics also said the attack risked “re-traumatising” Grande, who has previously spoken about experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after the 2017 bombing at her Manchester concert, which killed 22 people and injured hundreds.

The court heard that Wen tried to enter the premiere area twice. After he first grabbed Grande, her co-star Cynthia Erivo pulled him away while security escorted him out. Wen then attempted a second time to breach the barricades but was stopped and pinned down by staff.

Cynthia Erivo protects Ariana Grande from a ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere attendee. pic.twitter.com/XQBeQJWZsI

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 13, 2025

Wen later posted videos of the incident on social media, thanking Grande and claiming he was “free.” Police arrested him the next day, and he pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors described him as a “serial intruder” who sought attention online by disrupting concerts and events. Reports show he has previously interfered with shows by Katy Perry and The Weeknd and has been banned from some stadiums in Australia while incurring large fines.

Wen, who did not have a lawyer in the Singapore court, told the judge that he would “not do it again.” Singapore law allows for up to three months in jail, a fine of S$2,000, or both for public nuisance.

Grande has not publicly commented on the incident and continued attending events in Los Angeles over the weekend. However, two days after the event, Erivo appeared to reference it while discussing her work with Grande, saying, “We have come through some stuff in our lives, our daily workings… even this last week, let’s be honest.”

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