Johnson Wen, the Australian man who assaulted Ariana Grande during the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good has been sentenced to more than a week in jail.
As seen in a video that’s since gone viral, the 26-year old jumped barricade and ran at the superstar singer/actress as the cast made its way down a yellow carpet before jumping up and down and putting his arm around the visibly shocked star.
Prior to local security intervening and escorting the man from the carpet, Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly stepped in and pushed the assailant out of the away.
After being arrested last Thursday (11.13.) and charged on Friday (11.14) with being a public nuisance, the perpetrator pleaded guilty during a court appearance on Monday (11.17,) and was subsequently sentenced to nine days in jail.
According to local media, the court was informed that Wen attempted to invade the movie premiere twice. Moments after security staff escorted him from the yellow carpet, Wen made a second attempt to jump the barricades, before guards stopped him and pinned him down.
Arguing that he was a “serial intruder” who publicized his behavior via social media, local prosecutors recommended a week’s jail time for the prankster, and not represented by legal counsel, Wen told the judge in mitigation that he would “not do it again”.
Not the first time the Australian has made his un-welcomed presence known, Johnson previously took the stage during concerts by Katy Perry and The Weeknd, and following the Wicked incident, he took to social media with the caption, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
Though Grande has yet to comment on the incident, Erivo referenced the unsavory moment during a special Screen Actors Guild screening in Los Angeles over the weekend when she said:
“We have come through some s**t. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings. I mean, f**k, even this last week, let’s be honest.” “For f**k’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.”
The final Wicked: For Good premiere will take place in New York on Monday night (11.17,) ahead of its proper release on November 21.
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Emma