Cynthia Erivo came to Ariana Grande’s rescue after an overzealous fan made a grab for her on the yellow carpet at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good, leaving the singer visibly shaken.
The 32-year-old, who stars as Glinda in the upcoming film, had been greeting fans and posing for cameras at Universal Studios Singapore on Thursday when a man broke through security and sprinted towards her.
Footage widely shared on social media shows the man — wearing a white shirt and shorts — rushing at Grande before putting an arm around her and pulling her close. Grande attempted to move away as security officers scrambled to intervene.
Erivo, who plays Elphaba, immediately stepped in, placing herself between Grande and the man and appearing to shout at him until security removed him. Michelle Yeoh then joined Erivo in comforting Grande, who looked visibly distressed and was seen taking deep breaths after the incident.
Fans quickly identified the man as Johnson Wen, a prolific event crasher known online as “Pyjama Man”. Wen later posted his own video of the moment, thanking Grande for “letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you”.
Wen has pulled similar stunts at high-profile events in recent months, including climbing on stage with Katy Perry in June and crashing a performance by The Weeknd in August before being escorted away by security.
The incident sparked concern among Grande’s fanbase given her history with trauma following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people during her concert.
Speaking to British Vogue in 2018, she said PTSD had become “a real thing”, adding: “I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.” In the same interview, she discussed her struggles with anxiety, saying: “My anxiety has anxiety… when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it’s ever been.”
Wicked: For Good — the second and final part of the much-anticipated film adaptation — is released in cinemas nationwide on November 21.
Elsewhere, Grande’s love life has been back in the headlines amid speculation that she and boyfriend Ethan Slater had split after keeping their distance at Monday’s London premiere. Insiders have since insisted the pair are “very much together” and reunited privately after the event, with both reportedly keen to keep the spotlight on the film rather than their relationship.
© The Standard Ltd