One man’s selfishness at Wicked event cost S’pore its reputation – and possibly an Ariana Grande concert

SINGAPORE – “We don’t claim him.”

It has been the cry heard around Singapore in the past few days.

United by shock, indignation and anger, local netizens have banded together in a rare show of patriotism – to decry Australian serial intruder Johnson Wen as not one of our own.

As they should.

The 26-year-old, who charged at American actress and pop star Ariana Grande,

32, at the Singapore premiere of the movie sequel Wicked: For Good on Nov 13, has made the Republic the subject of headlines across the world for all the wrong reasons.

At the yellow carpet event attended by ticket-holding fans, influencers and the media, he jumped the barricade at Universal Studios Singapore at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), rushed towards the 1.57m-tall singer and flung his arm roughly around her.

Grande’s co-star, British actress-singer Cynthia Erivo, swiftly forced herself in between them to protect the petite star, before security tossed him back over the barricade.

Wen, who posted smug videos of himself being set free after the incident, was charged in court on Nov 14. He pleaded guilty on Nov 17 to one charge of being a public nuisance and was sentenced to nine days’ jail.

But the damage has been done.

His actions have marred what was meant to be a momentous night for not just Wicked fans, but also all of Singapore. The Republic was one of just five stops – alongside Sao Paulo, Paris, London and New York – on the movie’s international promo tour, and the only one in Asia.

Thanks to the global fandom and power of the Hollywood marketing machine, all eyes, even those beyond the region, were on Singapore.

The premiere was supposed to be a rare opportunity for Singapore to shine on the global stage outside the country’s usual strengths of tech and finance.

For once, the little red dot was chosen as a platform for Hollywood entertainment. But Wen’s offence has stolen the spotlight, with every headline from the event highlighting his attention-seeking actions.

If even the global gossip TikTok accounts are talking about it, you know it’s bad.

Local TikTokers have voiced their displeasure online. Singapore may not be particularly known for many things, but the one thing the Republic is known for is safety. And what of that reputation now? One selfish person single-handedly “threw our face” – and he is not even Singaporean.

Many also feel the attack had scared Grande off interacting with fans during the yellow carpet walk. While she had gamely posed for wefies – even holding the camera to snap pictures – and signed autographs at the free fan event held at RWS mall Weave a few hours before, she brisk-walked down the yellow carpet past the crowds during the premiere.

Hurt and anger swelled online, as those inside USS – who paid $93 (before booking fees) to enter – felt they had been robbed of the chance to interact with their idol.

As someone who was reporting from inside the premiere, I had noticed dynamic duo Grande and Erivo were a little off when it was their turn in the media pen. Throughout their two-year-long press tour, their rapport on-screen has translated into equally electrifying chemistry in their media interviews and on red carpets, which fans have lapped up.

This time, they felt distant, a little uncertain. I had chalked it down to it being near the end of a long day, the humidity, jet lag even. I was unaware then that Grande had been grabbed just minutes earlier.

When asked what was the moment they realised they had found a lifelong sister in each other, Erivo, 38, had turned away from the mic and mumbled something with a smirk. I brushed it off then as fatigue-induced cattiness. On closer listening afterwards, she had said: “I want to say right now.”

The pair soldiered on and answered questions politely with a smile – but, rewatching the interview, you can see Grande’s hands were trembling.

Respect boundaries of celebs

And then there are the legions of Grande fans, this writer included, who feel Singapore’s chances at being included in her 2026 Eternal Sunshine global tour are now shot.

Dates for her sold-out fifth concert tour, which kicks off in June 2026, have been released only for North America and London, with many fans in Asia holding out for the possibility of her adding an Asian leg.

She last performed here in 2017 at the Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix at the Padang Stage. The Eternal Sunshine tour will be her first concert tour since 2019.

While some may brush off the yellow carpet incident as making a mountain out of a molehill, Arianators (the name of her fandom) will know that its effects and consequences can run deep. After all, this was not Grande’s first brush with a dangerous “fan”.

Her Manchester Arena concert in Manchester, England, on May 22, 2017, was the target of a terrorist suicide bombing that killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000. Classified as the deadliest act of terrorism and the first suicide bombing in Britain since the July 2005 London bombings, the attack left the star with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Wen’s actions have also reignited discussion on fan behaviour and the public safety of celebrities. He is a serial intruder who has disrupted many celebrity events, such as American singer-songwriter Katy Perry’s recent Sydney concert in and Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd’s Melbourne concert in October 2024 – jumping onstage to grab and harass them.

Harmless at first, sure, but with every possibility of turning into something more sinister.

It brings to mind the tragic case of American singer-songwriter Christina Grimmie, who died at age 22.

She was shot dead in 2016 while signing autographs at a meet-and-greet with her fans following a concert performance in Orlando, Florida. Her murderer was 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl, who waited in line to meet her. When it was his turn, she opened her arms to hug him, but he pulled out a Glock pistol and shot her three times.

While

Wen has been dealt with by the law,

no one can fault Grande, who has been outspoken about her anxiety, if she is hesitant to hold another concert in Singapore in the near future. Returning to the scene of the crime can be traumatising.

The penalty meted out to Wen could be seen as upholding Singapore’s reputation as a city of law and order. It will take time – and a few more news cycles – for the country to shed the negative press and rebuild an image that gives celebrities and international viewers confidence in us again.

In her 2024 chart-topping single We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love), Grande sings about the end of a relationship – which some fans have likened to her roller-coaster relationship with her fans and the press – and that she will “wait until you like me again”.

This time, Ari, we will wait for your love.

Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said that Wen attacked Grande on his second attempt instead of the first. This has been corrected.