Singaporean authorities on Friday charged an Australian man who rushed toward film star Ariana Grande during the premiere of “Wicked: For Good” at Universal Studios Singapore.
Grande and her co-stars were attending the opening night when the man — identified in court documents as Johnson Wen, 26 — allegedly jumped a barricade and approached the actress.
Videos circulating online showed Wen wrapping an arm around the visibly shocked Grande before jumping up and down and waving to the crowd.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly stepped in, pushing the man away as security personnel pulled him off Grande and hauled him back over the barricade.
According to Singapore court documents posted online, Wen was charged with “being a public nuisance.”
Representing himself, Wen said he intends to plead guilty. He is scheduled to return to court on Monday. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to $1,500 (approximately P88,500), up to three months in jail, or both.
Despite the incident, the movie launch proceeded as planned on Thursday night, with Grande’s co-stars forming a protective circle around her before the cast continued down the yellow carpet.
Grande, 32, began her career as a teen on Broadway before rising to global fame as a pop superstar. In 2017, at the height of her meteoric career, her Manchester Arena concert was bombed — an attack that killed 22 people, injured more than 1,000, and left her struggling with PTSD.