The man who was caught on video attacking Ariana Grande at the Singapore Wicked: For Good premiere has been convicted to nine days in prison. Twenty-six-year-old Australian citizen Johnson Wen was captured on camera evading security on Thursday’s red carpet, running straight up to Grande as she was walking with cast members Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum. Wen wrapped his arms around the actress’s neck, and Erivo sprang into action, fighting him off with the support of security. Wen was tackled to the floor by security and was arrested and then charged the next day with public nuisance, to which he pled guilty. The video quickly went viral, with fans growing increasingly angry when it was revealed that this wasn’t Wen’s first offense, as he had crossed several boundaries to approach stars at public events, including The Weeknd, The Chainsmokers, and Katy Perry.
Today, the BBC News has reported that Wen has been sentenced by Singaporean court to nine days in prison. Wen stated to the judge in court that he would “not do it again.” Grande’s close friend and co-star Erivo revealed how she felt about the encounter recently during a screening by the Screen Actors Guild being held at the Los Angeles Television Academy, saying,
“What’s even more wonderful is the fact that there are other people who have seen themselves in this movie, in that character, and also now see themselves and feel safe. That, for me, is the pinnacle of what I could ever wish for from any piece of work I have ever done. And I am so glad that in order to do it, I had to look into the eyes of this person beside me. And we have come through some shit. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings,” she continued. “I mean, f—, even this last week. Let’s be honest, for f—‘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.”
While Ervio didn’t address the incident directly, any viewer watching could infer what situation she was referring to. Another one of Grande’s co-stars took a different approach. Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose Thropp, went to TikTok to address the incident, saying to those defending Grande’s attacker for being a “fan”, “Then they’re a fan and a loser.” Bode followed up that statement by adding,
“This is what I mean when I say social media brings out the worst in people. Oh, did you get your views? Did you get your likes? Guess what you also did? You made somebody feel incredibly unsafe, but just-no remorse. That goes over your head. You’re a bad person.”
Grande has yet to comment on the incident.
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