Ariana Grande ambusher is jailed after throwing himself on her at Singapore Wicked premiere
26-year-old Johnson Wen admitted to causing a public nuisance after he crossed a barrier at the event and threw his arm around the star
By Callum Wells
The man who ambushed Wicked: For Good star Ariana Grande at the film’s Singapore premiere has been jailed.
26-year-old Johnson Wen admitted to causing a public nuisance after he crossed a barrier at the event and threw his arm around the star. A court has now ordered him to serve nine days in jail for the stunt.
Grande had been meeting fans along the film’s yellow carpet when Wen rushed towards her without warning. Cynthia Erivo immediately stepped in, shoving the man away as Grande froze in shock.
Johnson Wen has targeted the likes of Katy Perry and The Weeknd before
Officials heard that Wen had flown into Singapore on 11 November on a temporary social visit pass, having travelled from Australia specifically to attend the screening. He is known online as Pyjama Man and regularly uploads footage of himself approaching celebrities at premieres and live events. On Thursday, he posted on Instagram that he was “free after being arrested”.
The incident isn’t the first time Wen has forced himself into a celebrity moment. Earlier this year, he climbed onto the stage during a Katy Perry concert in Sydney, startling the singer as she pulled away from him.
Footage from the Wicked: For Good carpet shows Erivo, who plays Elphaba opposite Grande’s Glinda in the second instalment of the two-part adaptation, shouting, “Get off!” as she moved between Wen and her co-star. Fans nearby called out, “Ariana, are you ok? Are you fine?” before Grande was escorted forward, still visibly rattled, with Erivo holding her hand.
The invader denied being compelled by addiction or mental health issues but acknowledged he enjoys the thrill and can “stop whenever he wants”.
“I’m literally the best pitch invader/streaker. I’ll probably keep doing it” – Wen speaking in a 2024 interview
Posting the clip himself to social media, he captioned the post: “Dear Ariana Grande thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you.”
He has previously revealed his stunts have landed him fines of up to $10,000, which his family often helps him pay.
In a resurfaced 2024 interview with radio hosts Fifi, Fev and Nick, Wen openly stated he has no intention of stopping his disruptive behaviour despite criticism, fines and public concern. “I’ve had a few people come up to me and were like: ‘You should stop doing that. What about your fines and your career in the future?’” he explained.
“I was like: ‘No way!’ I’m literally the best pitch invader/streaker. I’ll probably keep doing it but I might take a break,” he replied controversially.
Speaking about once invading The Weeknd’s stage, he added: “I know it’s bad, but I didn’t care about the consequences. I was going to do it either way, even though it was really bad to do it.”