Johnson Wen, a 25-year-old Australian, jumped the barricade and rushed at Ariana Grande during the Wicked: For Good premiere at Universal Studios Singapore on 13 Nov 2025. He wrapped his arm around the pop star in a tight hug before security pulled him away.
Grande recoiled in shock as Wen grabbed her around the shoulders at the yellow carpet event held at Resorts World Sentosa. Multiple videos of the incident went viral globally.
Co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately forced herself between Grande and Wen. Security guards apprehended him and tossed him back over the barricade. Some nearby fans protested, telling the guard he was too rough.
The rest of the cast—Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum included—huddled around Grande to check on her. They then continued their walk on the yellow carpet to greet fans and sign autographs. Footage circulating online later showed Wen being escorted out by security. A source told The Straits Times he was arrested after leaving Sentosa.
Serial Event Crasher with Global Track Record
This wasn’t Wen’s first time. The Australian has disrupted high-profile concerts and sporting events around the world.
He goes by @pyjamamann on Instagram. His bio calls him the “2023 World Cup Final Pitch Invader” and “Troll Most Hated.” His account includes a link soliciting donations to pay his bills. A GoFundMe page asks supporters for money to “pay off all my bills” without specifying what those bills are.
His first Instagram post from 9 Nov 2020 shows him screaming and running up a table in an unidentified mall before doing the floss dance.
Wen jumped on stage during Katy Perry’s concert on 9 Jun 2025. He crashed The Weeknd’s Melbourne show in October 2024. He’s also invaded the men’s 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, and the men’s Cricket World Cup Final in India in 2023.
A 9News interview from 10 Jun 2025 reported Wen was unemployed and living at a backpackers’ hostel. He was banned from Accor Stadium in Sydney after the October 2024 incident with The Weeknd.
The Australian news channel reported Wen had racked up roughly A$20,000 (~S$17,000) in fines. After the Perry concert stunt, Wen promised it would be his last run-in with the law.
His latest incident in Singapore proved that promise hollow. After the event, Wen posted on Instagram stories that he was “free” and declared he had “finally met Ariana Grande.”
Court Appearance and Possible Consequences
Wen’s name appeared in the Integrated Case Management System. He was scheduled to appear at the State Courts at 8.45am on 14 Nov 2025, facing charges of public nuisance.
For committing an act of public nuisance while knowing it would cause annoyance to the public, he faces up to three months in jail, a fine up to S$2,000, or both. He could also be deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.
Grande has previously spoken about struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following a bombing at her Manchester concert in May 2017. That attack killed 22 people.
“I’ve always had anxiety,” she told British Vogue in 2018. “I’ve never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour (in September 2017), it was the most severe I think it’s ever been.”
The 13 Nov premiere at Resorts World Sentosa was the only Asian stop in the film’s international promotional tour, which ends in New York City on 17 Nov. Grande, Erivo, Yeoh, Goldblum, and director Jon M Chu attended the event. Fans paid more than $90 for tickets to the premiere.
