Followers Demand Detainment of Man Who Grabbed Ariana Grande
Passionate supporters of the pop star are calling for that a person who leaped a barrier and touched the performer during Thursday's Wicked: For Good debut be detained or removed from Singapore.
A widely shared footage reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside media personnel and charging at Grande while the performers walked down a event pathway flanked by supporters.
Cast member Cynthia Erivo immediately guided the surprised actress away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being escorted out of the gathering by security officers.
Mr Wen shared on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "let go after being detained", though official papers revealed that he was due to appear on the following morning. It is not clear if he was charged.
History of Event Invasions
This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Troll Most Hated", has disrupted a celebrity gathering. His Instagram profile contains videos of him disrupting other high-profile occasions, including rushing the platform at the artist's Sydney show in earlier this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers event in the same location last December.
"Measures must be taken applied against him as this is clearly a punishable act," wrote an Instagram commenter, in a response to a video Mr Wen shared of his behavior.
"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" another Instagram user remarked.
Supporters Show Disapproval Over Ariana's Well-being
Numerous fans blamed Mr Wen for "causing further distress" Grande, who had spoken of dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist explosion at the end of her spring 2017 performance in Manchester, killing 22 people and harming hundreds.
"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" wrote a further comment on Instagram.
Some supporters also questioned guards at the Thursday event for not being adequately prepared; while some called for online networks to block Mr Wen's videos.
Aftermath and Event Details
In clips circulating online, Grande appeared shocked when she was touched by the man. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted comforting her while Mr Wen was removed by security.
Grande has remained silent on the situation, and the premiere activities proceeded as normal.
Hundreds of attendees had congregated in a mass of green and pink at the Wicked: For Good regional debut in a Singapore shopping center, including several who had waited for as long as a significant duration before it began.
The film, to be launched on the 21st of November, is the second of a two-film version of the acclaimed stage production Wicked, which focuses on the unexpected relationship between two very different sorceresses.
The show itself is a adaptation of the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who portrays the good witch Glinda, was decked out in a light pink sequin dress at the event while Erivo, who plays the Elphaba, wore a sleek black dress decorated with roses.
They were accompanied by co-star Jeff Goldblum.
The previous installment, Wicked, was the top-earning film of the previous year in the UK, and received 10 award recognitions, securing several for excellent wardrobe and set decoration.