Ariana Grande’s big Singapore premiere for Wicked: For Good took a frightening turn — and it wasn’t because of any flying monkeys.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, the 31-year-old star was walking the iconic yellow brick road carpet at Universal Studios Singapore when a man broke past security and grabbed her in a shocking moment caught from multiple angles by fans and media.
Grande, who plays Glinda in the highly anticipated film, had been posing and greeting fans alongside co-stars Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Erivo, and Jeff Goldblum when the man sprinted toward her. Wearing a white shirt, shorts, and long black hair with blue streaks, he wrapped his arm around Ariana and pulled her close as she tried to recoil.
The moment was chaotic, unexpected, and deeply unsettling — but it was also where Cynthia Erivo stepped in like the real-life powerhouse she is.
Erivo, who plays Elphaba, immediately jumped between Ariana and the man, shielding her as she appeared to shout at him. Security stepped in within seconds, removing him from the carpet while Ariana visibly worked to catch her breath. Yeoh also stepped in to comfort her as the situation de-escalated.
Ariana looked shaken — and understandably so. Her fans, known for being fiercely protective, quickly pieced together that the crasher was a man known online as Johnson Wen, or “Pyjama Man,” who later posted his own video of the stunt on Instagram. His caption: “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ❤️.”
The internet was… not amused.
Wen is no stranger to pulling these stunts. Earlier this year, he crashed a Katy Perry appearance in June, and in August, he jumped onstage at a Weeknd concert before being dragged off by security. While he may treat these incidents as spectacle, the emotional impact is very real — especially for Ariana.
Grande has been open about her ongoing struggle with PTSD following the tragic 2017 bombing at her Manchester concert, which killed 22 people and forever changed the trajectory of her life and career.
“Yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well,” Grande told British Vogue in 2018. “It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss … I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”
She also opened up about her ongoing struggles with anxiety during that interview:
“I think a lot of people have anxiety, especially right now … My anxiety has anxiety,” she said. “I’ve always had anxiety. I’ve never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour [in September 2017] it was the most severe I think it’s ever been.”
