Crime23 November, 20252 min read
Singapore Deports Australian Who Grabbed Ariana Grande at Wicked Premiere
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Johnson Wen, 26, jumped a barricade and grabbed Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere He was sentenced to nine days' jail for the offence of public nuisance
8 outlets told this the same way.
Ariana Grande Singapore incident
A 26-year-old Australian man, Johnson Wen, rushed past photographers and a barricade and put his arm around singer and actress Ariana Grande at the Asian premiere of Wicked: For Good in Singapore on 13 November. He was wrestled away by co-star Cynthia Erivo and detained by security. The incident was widely captured on video and led to his immediate arrest and charges in Singapore, with multiple sources identifying Wen as the person who approached Grande at the Universal Studios Singapore premiere.
“Australian national Johnson Wen, 26, who charged at Ariana Grande during the Wicked: For Good premiere at Universal Studios Singapore on Nov 13, has been deported and barred from re-entering Singapore, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said.”
Arrest, conviction, and deportation
Following the incident, Wen was arrested and charged with being a public nuisance. He pleaded guilty in court and was sentenced to nine days' jail.
After serving his sentence, Singapore authorities deported him and barred his re-entry. Multiple outlets confirmed the conviction, the nine-day sentence, and the deportation via the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
Pattern of public disruptions
Court coverage and commentary emphasized Wen's pattern of similar disruptions at high-profile events. Multiple outlets reported prior incidents, including when he jumped a stage at a Katy Perry concert in Sydney in June and when he disrupted the men's 100m final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“A man identified as Wen, who has a history of similar incidents including jumping a stage at a Katy Perry concert in Sydney in June, rushed at Ariana Grande and later posted videos thanking her and saying he was 'free.'”
Courtroom remarks painted him as likely to reoffend. Judges and reporters cited Wen's history while sentencing him and when applying immigration measures.
Response to Ariana Grande incident
Coverage highlighted the emotional impact on Ariana Grande and the wider public reaction. Several outlets reported the incident provoked public outrage for potentially re-traumatising Grande, who has spoken about PTSD after the 2017 Manchester bombing.
Some reports note Grande has not publicly commented, while others record that Cynthia Erivo intervened and later told NBC she stepped in to protect her friend. The judge's characterization of Wen as 'attention seeking' appears across multiple reports.
Deportation and administrative details
Immigration action followed the criminal sentence. Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and local reports say Wen was deported to Australia and barred from re-entering the country. Sources differ on administrative details: some mention his arrival date on a social visit pass and confirmation of the re-entry ban, while others emphasize that the deportation occurred after he served the nine-day sentence.
“He—who arrived in Singapore on Nov 11 on a 90-day social visit pass—posted video of the incident online and is known for disrupting other international events...”