Man who accosted Ariana Grande sentenced to jail in Singapore
The law is working quickly in Singapore, where last week an Australian with a history of disrupting events charged Ariana Grande after she broke through a barrier at the Asian premiere of “Wicked: For Good.”
This week he is already serving his sentence for this crime.
Johnson Wen, 26, was convicted Monday of public nuisance and sentenced to nine days in prison, the BBC reported. Videos of Thursday’s incident show Wen jump a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore and run towards Grande, then put his arms around her neck and shoulders while jumping up and down and flashing a big smile for the cameras. He was separated from his shocked target by co-star Cynthia Erivo and escorted away by security.
But that wasn’t all: Wen attempted a second time to jump the barricades lining the event’s yellow carpet but was cornered by security, the BBC said. He was arrested on Friday.
The Australian was in Singapore on a 90-day tourist visa and has been in custody since his arrest. He was sentenced on Monday after the prosecution requested a week in jail for a charge that carries up to three months in prison, according to Singapore’s Straits Times.
“Dude, this is not good,” one commenter wrote Thursday on Wen’s Instagram post showing him charging down the mat and grabbing Grande. “Look how much you scared him! You put your hand on him. I sincerely hope you [are] accused of something and banned from events.
The Singapore judge apparently thought something similar when he spoke with Wen during the trial.
Wen has disrupted several sporting and celebrity events by running on stage and in the middle of sporting events, including at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “I won’t do it again, Your Honour,” he told the judge when asked if there was anything that could mitigate his behavior, according to The Straits Times.
“Are you paying lip service or is that your intention?” » asked the judge. Wen responded in the affirmative, saying he was “going to stop.”
The judge referred to Wen’s previous intrusions and noted that he had not faced consequences before, The Straits Times reported.
“Maybe you thought the same thing would happen here, but Mr. Wen, you are wrong,” the judge said, adding that there are always consequences for actions.
The judge said Wen appeared to be “attention-seeking, thinking only of himself, and not the safety of others, when committing these acts.” He claimed that this act was premeditated and added two days to the requested sentence. It is unclear whether Wen was also fined.
Prosecutors had called him a “serial intruder” who sought influence online, the BBC reported.
Wen, who goes by “Pyjama Man” online, wrote on Instagram while posting a video of himself during Thursday’s incident: “Dear Ariana Grande, thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you.” Commentators did not support his enthusiasm.
After promoting “Wicked: For Good” with a number of her castmates in cities around the world, Grande didn’t mention what happened in Singapore when she appeared at a Q&A session about the film Saturday in Century City. On Sunday, she attended the Academy’s 16th Annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood, where Tom Cruise received an honorary Oscar, alongside Debbie Allen, Dolly Parton and production designer Wynn Thomas.
The U.S. premiere of “Wicked: For Good” — which also stars Jeff Goldblum as the wizard — is scheduled for Monday in New York, with a national wide release on Thursday.
