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World / Asia

Singapore charges Australian man after Ariana Grande incident

Published: 14 Nov 2025 - 03:36 pm | Last Updated: 14 Nov 2025 - 03:42 pm
This picture by The Straits Times taken November 13, 2025 and provided on November 14 shows a man (C) accused of attacking pop star Ariana Grande being grabbed by security guards as co-star Cynthia Erivo (3rd L) reacts at the premiere of their film

This picture by The Straits Times taken November 13, 2025 and provided on November 14 shows a man (C) accused of attacking pop star Ariana Grande being grabbed by security guards as co-star Cynthia Erivo (3rd L) reacts at the premiere of their film "Wicked: For Good" in Singapore. Photo by The Straits Times / AFP

AFP

Singapore: Singapore authorities charged an Australian man Friday for rushing film star Ariana Grande at the Asia premiere of "Wicked: For Good".

Grande and other stars were attending the opening night of the film at Universal Studios in the city-state when the man, identified by court papers as Johnson Wen, 26, jumped a barricade and rushed the actor.

Video clips, which have gone viral, show the man wrapping his arm around a shocked Grande before he jumps up and down and waves to the crowd.


This picture by The Straits Times taken November 13, 2025 and provided on November 14 shows a man (C) accused of attacking pop star Ariana Grande at the premiere of the film "Wicked: For Good" in Singapore. Photo by The Straits Times / AFP

Grande's co-star Cynthia Erivo then rushes to her defence. The man is grabbed by security guards and dumped back over the barricade.

Wen was charged Friday with "being a public nuisance", Singapore court documents posted online showed.

Wen represented himself and said he would plead guilty, added the documents.

He is to appear in court again on Monday.


This picture by The Straits Times taken November 13, 2025 and provided on November 14 shows stars Ariana Grande (C) and Cynthia Erivo (2nd R) at the premiere of their film "Wicked: For Good" in Singapore. Photo by The Straits Times / AFP

If sentenced, Wen faces a $1,500 fine, three months in jail, or both.

Singapore's public prosecutions office could not immediately be reached for comment.

The movie launch went ahead on Thursday night, with the movie cast huddling around Grande before continuing down the yellow carpet.

Grande, 32, began her career as a teen on Broadway before embarking on a hugely successful pop career.

At perhaps the height of her meteoric pop fame, in 2017, one of her concerts was bombed.

The Manchester Arena attack killed 22 people, wounded more than 1,000 and left Grande with PTSD.