Followers Demand Custody of Individual Who Seized Ariana Grande
Passionate supporters of the pop star are calling for that a man who leaped a barrier and grabbed the celebrity during yesterday's Wicked: For Good launch be arrested or deported from Singapore.
A widely shared footage depicts the person identified as Johnson Wen shoving aside photographers and lunging at Grande while the cast walked down a promenade accompanied by onlookers.
Fellow actress Cynthia Erivo immediately guided the stunned actress away from Mr Wen, who was spotted being removed of the event by guards.
Mr Wen stated on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "free after being taken in", though official papers showed that he was set to attend court on the next day. It is uncertain if he was faced legal action.
Pattern of Disruptions
This is not an isolated incident for Mr Wen, who labels himself a "Troll Most Hated", has invaded a concert or event. His Instagram account includes recordings of him disrupting other high-profile occasions, including breaching the performance area at the pop singer's Sydney performance in June this year and in a similar way during The Chainsmokers event in the same location last winter.
"Steps should be implemented enforced against him as this is obviously a punishable act," stated an Instagram user, in a response to a video Mr Wen shared of his act.
"Oh wow so you do this a lot... how aren't you in jail?" a different Instagram user remarked.
Supporters Express Concern Over the Star's Well-being
Many followers criticized Mr Wen for "triggering past anxiety" Grande, who had revealed dealing with trauma-related anxiety after a suicide bomb attack at the conclusion of her spring 2017 performance in Manchester, killing 22 people and wounding many.
"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" said one more message on Instagram.
Several supporters also questioned security officers at the premiere for not being vigilant enough; while others called for social media platforms to remove Mr Wen's content.
Aftermath and Event Details
In clips shared widely, Grande appeared startled when she was touched by the intruder. Her fellow actors Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be spotted reassuring her while Mr Wen was led out by security.
Grande has not commented on the event, and the premiere activities carried on uninterrupted.
Many of supporters had assembled in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore mall, including several who had stood in line for as long as a significant duration before it commenced.
The movie, to be released on 21 November, is the second of a two-film interpretation of the acclaimed Broadway and West End musical Wicked, which centers on the unlikely relationship between two distinct witches.
The show itself is a adaptation of the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Grande, who portrays the character Glinda Glinda, was dressed in a rosé sequin dress at the gathering while Erivo, who acts as the Elphaba, wore a sleek black dress decorated with roses.
They were alongside fellow actor Jeff Goldblum.
The previous installment, Wicked, was the top-earning motion picture of the previous year in the UK, and earned ten Oscar nominations, securing several for excellent wardrobe and artistic direction.