One fan of the film adaptation of “Wicked” apparently decided to defy more than gravity.
While walking down the yellow brick road carpet on Thursday at the “Wicked: For Good” premiere in Singapore, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh were soaking in the moment, but what was supposed to be a celebratory appearance took an unprecedented turn. As the stars passed a crowd of excited fans, one attendee — dressed in a white shirt and shorts — appeared to rush towards Grande.
As the shocking incident unfolded, Erivo sprang into action to protect her friend and co-star. The individual appeared to place his arm around Grande and began jumping up and down until security arrived to remove him.
The overzealous fan was later identified as social media influencer Johnson Wen, known on social media as a “stage invader” with the user handle Pyjama Man. A video of the incident was posted on his page and captioned, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ❤️”
Social media users, however, had a different take on the video.
“You literally assaulted her. This isn’t a flex, it’s a crime. Shame on you!,” one user wrote.
“Do you think this is okay?” another account commented. “This is sick! It ruined the experience for fans who dreamed of this moment and put lives at risk. All for pure ego! Seek help”
Wen committed a similar stunt in June on singer Katy Perry, who looked visibly alarmed and uncomfortable as he rushed towards her while she was on stage at her show in Sydney, Australia, for her Lifetimes Tour.
After security arrived to remove Wen from the stage, Perry told the crowd, “Well, there’s never going to be another show like it, so just enjoy it, Sydney.”
Police said Wen was arrested and charged regarding the Perry incident, and according to NBC News, he was scheduled to appear in court in June.