Supporters Call for Arrest of Person Who Touched Ariana Grande
Devoted supporters of the actress are calling for that a person who leaped a fence and grabbed the performer during the recent Wicked: For Good premiere be arrested or expelled from Singapore.
A widely shared video reveals the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside photographers and charging at Grande while the actors proceeded down a promenade surrounded by fans.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly guided the stunned performer away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the premiere by security officers.
Mr Wen stated on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "released after being arrested", though official papers showed that he was scheduled to appear on Friday morning. It is not clear if he was formally accused.
History of Disruptions
This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who calls himself a "Notorious Troublemaker", has crashed a celebrity gathering. His Instagram feed features clips of him disrupting other star-studded functions, including breaching the performance area at Katy Perry's Sydney performance in June this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers event in the city last year.
"There needs to be action applied against him as this is obviously a legal violation," wrote an Instagram user, in a message to a video Mr Wen uploaded of his behavior.
"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" another Instagram user remarked.
Supporters Voice Worry Over Grande's Safety
Several supporters accused Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had discussed dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a terrorist explosion at the end of her spring 2017 concert in Manchester, resulting in the death of 22 people and harming numerous individuals.
"After everything she's faced... including the Manchester attack, you considered it entertaining to rush the barrier?" said one more message on Instagram.
A number of supporters also faulted event staff at the premiere for not being adequately prepared; while others called for social media platforms to remove Mr Wen's uploads.
Reaction and Premiere Information
In footage shared widely, Grande appeared startled when she was touched by the intruder. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted reassuring her while Mr Wen was removed by guards.
Grande has not commented on the situation, and the premiere activities proceeded as normal.
Hundreds of fans had congregated in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore venue, including some who had queued for as long as a significant duration before it commenced.
The film, to be launched on 21 November, is the follow-up of a two-part version of the well-known Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which revolves around the unexpected bond between two very different witches.
The musical itself is a spin-off of the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who acts as the good witch Glinda, was decked out in a light pink glittering gown at the gathering while Erivo, who acts as the Elphaba, wore a sleek black dress embroidered with roses.
They were accompanied by co-star Jeff Goldblum.
The initial film, Wicked, was the top-earning movie of the previous year in the UK, and earned a dozen Oscar nominations, winning several for outstanding attire and artistic direction.