Serial intruder who grabbed Ariana Grande jailed for 9 days
What's the story
An Australian man, Johnson Wen (26), has been sentenced to nine days in prison for causing public nuisance by accosting pop star Ariana Grande at the premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore. Wen pleaded guilty to one charge of causing annoyance after he jumped over a barricade and rushed toward Grande on November 13. The incident was captured on video and shared widely online.
Court proceedings
Judge's remarks during Wen's sentencing
During the sentencing, District Judge Christopher Goh told Wen he was "attention seeking," while Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim called him a "serial intruder" with a "glaring lack of remorse." Goh added that he hoped the prison sentence would put an end to Wen's behavior "for good." Despite maintaining a faint smile throughout the proceedings, Wen said he would stop stage crashing and admitted to "getting in trouble."
Serial intruder
Wen's history of stage-crashing and public nuisance
Wen, who calls himself the "Most Hated" troll on social media, has a history of stage-crashing. He was charged by Australian police for interrupting a Katy Perry concert in Sydney earlier this year. His Instagram page also features clips of him crashing concerts by The Chainsmokers and The Weeknd, as well as sporting events like the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Incident details
Grande's co-star intervened during the incident
The incident occurred when Wen rushed toward Grande and threw his arms around her as she walked the yellow carpet with the cast of Wicked at Universal Studios Singapore. Grande's co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly intervened to push Wen away from the singer, while security guards tackled him. In an Instagram video of the intrusion, Wen thanked Grande for "letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you."
Aftermath
Grande and Erivo's reactions to the incident
Grande, who has been open about her PTSD after a 2017 bombing at her Manchester concert, has not publicly commented on the incident. However, Erivo hinted at it during a special SAG screening in Los Angeles. She said, "We've had to really deal with some stuff, and this move has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses."