Recommendations of the Editorial team
The man who groped Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good has been sentenced to nine days in prison. This is reported by “The Straits Times”.
Johnson Wen, 26, was sentenced on Monday, November 17, after pleading guilty to one count of public nuisance.
Wen is a self-proclaimed “stage stormer” who made a name for himself by bypassing security at live music and sporting events, including Katy Perry and The Weeknd concerts and the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Judge refers to previous behavior
In sentencing Wen, Judge Christopher Goh referred to his previous behavior and noted that he had not yet suffered any consequences. He said: “Maybe you thought it would be the same here. But Mr. Wen, you are wrong. You should be aware that every action has consequences.”
Goh added that he believes Wen’s actions were deliberate. “You seem to be attention hungry. You only think about yourself when you do these actions and not about the safety of others.”
Incident at the premiere
At the Nov. 13 premiere of “Wicked: For Good,” Wen was captured on video jumping over security barricades while Grande and her co-stars walked the red carpet. He appeared to aggressively grab Grande and pull her into a hug. Cynthia Erivo was seen pushing Wen away from Grande. And made sure she wasn’t hurt.
Security personnel grabbed Wen and removed him from the scene. However, he reportedly returned. And tried to jump over the barrier again, but this time he was stopped.
In a video Wen later posted to his social media page, he wrote: “Dear Ariana Grande. Thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you.”
Arrest and trial
Wen was arrested and charged on November 14 and has been in custody since then. During the trial, prosecutors described him as a “serial burglar” and requested a one-week prison sentence.
At one point, Judge Goh asked Wen if he wanted to say something. Wen replied, “I won’t do it again, Your Honor.” When Goh asked whether it was just “lip service” or whether Wen actually wanted to stop, he said: “Yes, I will stop.”
Reactions at the “Wicked” event in Los Angeles
During a recent Wicked event in Los Angeles, Erivo spoke about the incident as she explained what the films mean to both fans and the two lead actresses. She said: “We’ve been through a lot. We’ve been through a lot in our lives, in our day-to-day work. I mean, hell, even in the last week. Let’s face it, damn it, we’ve really had to deal with some things, and this film has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses.”