Grande at the 16th Motion Picture Academy Governors Awards
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The man who grabbed Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore has been sentenced to nine days in jail, The Straits Times reports.
Johnson Wen, 26, was sentenced Monday, Nov. 17, after pleading guilty to one charge of being a public nuisance. Wen is a self-proclaimed “stage invader,” who’s garnered some infamy for getting past security at live music and sporting events, including Katy Perry and the Weeknd concerts, and the 2023 Women’s World Cup Final.
In sentencing Wen for the Wicked incident, Judge Christopher Goh cited his past behavior, noting that he had yet to face any repercussions. “Perhaps you thought the same would occur here, but Mr. Wen, you are wrong,” Goh said. “You should be mindful that there are always consequences for one’s actions.”
Adding that he believed Wen’s actions were premeditated, Goh said, “You seem to be attention-seeking, thinking only of yourself, and not the safety of others, when committing these acts.”
At the Nov. 13 Wicked: For Good premiere, Wen was captured on video jumping the security barricades while Grande and her co-stars were walking the carpet. He appeared to aggressively grab Grande and pull her into an embrace. Cynthia Erivo could be seen shoving Wen away from Grande and checking that she wasn’t hurt.
Security grabbed Wen and removed him from the scene, but he reportedly returned and tried to jump over the barricade again. This time, though, security was able to stop him.
In a video posted on his social media page later, Wen wrote, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
Wen was eventually arrested and charged on Nov. 14, and he’s been in custody ever since. During his court hearing, prosecutors labeled Wen a “serial intruder” and asked the judge to hand down a week-long jail sentence.
At one point, Judge Goh asked Wen if he wanted to speak, to which he replied: “I won’t do it again, Your Honor.” When Goh asked Wen if he was just “paying lip service,” or if he actually intended to stop, Wen said, “Yes, I am going to stop.”
During a recent Wicked event in Los Angeles, Erivo addressed the incident while talking about what the films mean for both fans, as well as for the two lead actresses. “We have come through some shit,” she said. “We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings. I mean, fuck, even this last week. Let’s be honest, for fuck’s sakes, we’ve had to really deal with some stuff, and this movie has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses.”
From Rolling Stone US.
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