An Australian man has been sentenced to nine days in prison in Singapore for grabbing Hollywood singer and actress Ariana Grande during the Asia premiere of Wicked: For Good.
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Johnson Wen, 26, was convicted of being a public nuisance after he jumped security barriers last Thursday and lunged at Grande, grabbing her by the shoulders as she reacted in shock. Videos of the incident quickly spread across social media, prompting widespread outrage from Singaporeans who demanded his arrest and deportation.
Critics accused Wen of “re-traumatising” Grande, who has previously spoken about suffering PTSD after the deadly 2017 Manchester Arena bombing at one of her concerts.
During Monday’s trial, the court heard that Wen attempted to breach the premiere area twice. Moments after the initial incident, Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo intervened, pulling Wen away before security removed him from the venue. Shortly afterward, he made a second attempt to jump the barricades but was subdued and pinned down by security staff.
Wen later shared videos of himself online praising Grande and claiming he felt “free,” further fuelling public backlash.
Prosecutors described Wen as a “serial intruder,” pointing to his history of disrupting concerts by global stars like Katy Perry and The Weeknd, as well as storming sports fields. Media in Australia have reported that he is banned from several stadiums and has faced significant fines.
Representing himself, Wen told the court he would “not do it again.”
Under Singaporean law, public nuisance can carry a sentence of up to three months in jail or a fine of up to S$2,000.
