Supporters Urge Arrest of Person Who Seized Ariana Grande
Loyal followers of Ariana Grande are demanding that a man who breached a barricade and grabbed the celebrity during the recent Wicked: For Good premiere be taken into custody or deported from Singapore.
A widely shared video reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside camera operators and rushing toward Grande while the actors walked down a event pathway surrounded by onlookers.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately pulled the stunned performer away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the gathering by guards.
Mr Wen posted on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "released after being arrested", though legal records indicated that he was set to appear on Friday morning. It is not clear if he was faced legal action.
Pattern of Incidents
This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who calls himself a "Controversial Figure", has crashed a performance. His Instagram profile features videos of him interrupting other high-profile occasions, including breaching the performance area at the pop singer's Sydney concert in recently and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers performance in the same location last year.
"Measures must be taken enforced against him as this is clearly a punishable act," wrote an Instagram commenter, in a response to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his act.
"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" another Instagram user remarked.
Followers Voice Worry Over the Star's Well-being
Many supporters accused Mr Wen for "re-traumatising" Grande, who had spoken of dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a devastating incident at the conclusion of her 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and harming numerous individuals.
"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" commented another comment on Instagram.
Several attendees also questioned security officers at the gathering for not being adequately prepared; while different individuals requested online networks to ban Mr Wen's uploads.
Reaction and Premiere Information
In clips shared widely, Grande looked shocked when she was grabbed by the intruder. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be seen reassuring her while Mr Wen was led out by security.
Grande has not issued a statement on the event, and the premiere activities carried on uninterrupted.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered in a mass of emerald and rose at the Wicked: For Good regional launch in a Singapore shopping center, including a number who had queued for as long as many hours before it started.
The movie, to be premiered on 21 November, is the second of a dual adaptation of the acclaimed theatrical show Wicked, which focuses on the unlikely relationship between two contrasting witches.
The musical itself is a derivative of the classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who acts as the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was decked out in a champagne pink sequin dress at the gathering while Erivo, who portrays the villainous character, wore a elegant ensemble decorated with roses.
They were joined by fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.
The previous installment, Wicked, was the top-earning motion picture of last year in the UK, and earned ten Academy Award nods, winning several for outstanding attire and artistic direction.