It’s been a messy couple of days for the Wicked: For Good promo tour after footage from the film’s Singapore premiere showed a man jumping a barricade and grabbing Ariana Grande on the red carpet. The man, identified as 26-year-old Australian citizen Johnson Wen, has since been charged with being a public nuisance by a Singapore court.
Local media reports that Wen intends to plead guilty and could face a fine of up to S$2,000 (around AUD 2,360). Video taken at Universal Studios Singapore shows Wen — who posts online under the handle Pyjama Man — sprinting toward Grande before being restrained. Her co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly stepped in to shield her.
Wen’s social media history paints a troubling pattern. He’s previously invaded stages at concerts for artists like The Chainsmokers and The Weeknd and has been banned from Sydney’s Accor stadium for an incident at Katy Perry’s concert earlier this year.
Grande herself has not commented on the incident, she instead shared photos from the Singapore event, writing simply, “thank you, Singapore ♡ we love you 🫧”. However, her Wicked co-star Marissa Bode isn’t holding back.
The 25-year-old actor, who plays Nessarose Thropp in the upcoming two-part Wicked films, posted a series of TikToks condemning fans who blur the line between admiration and entitlement.
“‘But they’re a fan!’ Okay. Then they’re a fan and a loser,” Bode said in her TikTok.
“This is what I mean when I say social media brings out the worst in people.
“Oh, did you get your views? Did you get your likes? Guess what you also did? You made somebody feel incredibly unsafe, but just — no remorse. That goes over your head. You’re a bad person.”
She went on to discuss the broader issue of what she calls “parasociality” — the false sense of intimacy some fans develop with public figures — and how dangerous it can become.
“Most of the time women within the public eye do respond with kindness because they know what the result is going to be if they don’t,” she added.
“But women, or really anybody, shouldn’t be expected to move with grace or respond with kindness when they’ve been violated in that way.”
Wicked For Good lands in Aussie cinemas on 20 November, wrapping up one of the biggest publicity tours of the year.
Lead image: Instagram / TikTok
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