It really should be common sense, but we all know that sense is not that common. At the Wicked: For Good premiere, Ariana Grande was greeting fans along the barrier next to her when a fan somehow broke containment and rushed over to grab her. Co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately stepped in, assisting security with getting the crazed fan away from Grande.
Pop Base on X provides the video, and it really is uncomfortable to watch.
Don’t do this. Seriously.
It is gross to do this. It is scary–not just for the person being accosted, but for everybody in attendance as well. Celebrities are not zoo animals. Their being public figures does not grant you access to them personally and physically. Respect should still be paid.
We also can’t forget that Grande is a smaller woman. In closer videos of the incident she looks absolutely terrified. As someone roughly her size, I would be, too. It also brings up another question: What on earth were the bodyguards doing? Why was Erivo handling it better than them?
In the comments on X, a user posted a screenshot from the fan’s Instagram page. Apparently, this is not the first time he has done it, and he does it continually because he thinks it’s funny. So assault is funny now? Got it. I don’t know about you, but if I am at a premiere or a concert, I don’t want the mood to be ruined because some deranged lunatic thinks it’s funny to rush up to a person and touch them without their permission.
I have said it before and will say it forever: Social media has irreparably ruined our ability to function in real life. Parasocial relationships are far too common and becoming even more common every day. Also, maybe having some consequences for people’s actions?
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