Person Who Grabbed Ariana Grande during Film Launch Barred from Singapore
An individual of Australian nationality who jumped over a barricade and reached for celebrity Ariana Grande has been deported and barred from Singapore.
Johnson Wen, aged 26, was handed a penalty to nine days in detention for being a public nuisance and has now been "barred from re-entering Singapore," the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority told news outlets.
The man shoved through camera crews and approached aggressively the performer and artist, who was present at the regional launch for Wicked: For Good on 13 November. Co-star Cynthia Erivo wrestled him away from Grande.
The individual has a record of causing disturbances at events and star-studded occasions, including rushing the stage at a Katy Perry performance in Sydney in the past June.
The occurrence provoked strong reactions in Singapore, with many claiming he of causing further distress to the star.
The pop star has mentioned suffering from trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist bombing at her performance in Manchester in several years ago killed 22 individuals and affected hundreds.
In the legal process, the court heard he had tried to gain access on the film's premiere multiple times, according to Singaporean media.
He then made a another effort to cross the barriers. Event security stopped him and restrained him.
He then uploaded recordings thanking Grande for letting him on the carpet and said he was "free."
Law enforcement took him into custody the following day and brought charges against him with causing a disturbance, to which he confessed.
The Presiding Judge the judicial official was referenced by a news outlet as saying that Wen was "attention seeking", commenting that he was mistaken to believe he would not experience repercussions.
The actress has not commented on the case.
The co-star spoke about the event to NBC, remarking that she "simply desired to verify my friend was protected."
"I believe he didn't intend us danger, but you can't predict with these incidents, and I aimed to make sure that she was fine. That was my initial reaction," she said.
