Fans Demand Detainment of Individual Who Touched Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at Wicked premiere
Ariana Grande visited Singapore for the regional debut of Wicked: For Good

Loyal supporters of the actress are urging that a man who jumped a barricade and grabbed the celebrity during Thursday's Wicked: For Good debut be detained or removed from Singapore.

A widely shared footage reveals the Australian man pushing past media personnel and charging at Grande while the actors walked down a yellow carpet surrounded by onlookers.

Cast member Cynthia Erivo promptly pulled the shocked performer away from Mr Wen, who was observed being escorted out of the gathering by event staff.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram late on Thursday that he was "free after being arrested", though legal records showed that he was due to be present on the following morning. It is not clear if he was charged.

Pattern of Disruptions

This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who describes himself as a "Troll Most Hated", has invaded a performance. His Instagram account includes videos of him disturbing other celebrity events, including breaching the performance area at the artist's Sydney concert in June this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers event in the same location last winter.

"There needs to be action applied against him as this is obviously a criminal offence," commented an Instagram user, in a response to a video Mr Wen posted of his actions.

"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" another Instagram user wrote.

Followers Express Concern Over the Star's Safety

Numerous followers accused Mr Wen for "causing further distress" Grande, who had discussed dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after a devastating incident at the finale of her 2017 performance in Manchester, claiming the lives of 22 people and harming hundreds.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" wrote one more comment on Instagram.

Some attendees also criticised security officers at the Thursday event for not being sufficiently alert; while others requested social media platforms to remove Mr Wen's videos.

Aftermath and Event Details

In videos shared widely, Grande looked startled when she was touched by the man. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed reassuring her while Mr Wen was escorted away by guards.

Grande has remained silent on the situation, and the rest of the event carried on uninterrupted.

Fans at Wicked premiere
Hundreds of Singapore supporters had queued up to see the actors of Wicked

Hundreds of supporters had assembled in a sea of colorful attire at the Wicked: For Good regional launch in a Singapore mall, including some who had waited for as long as eight hours before it began.

The movie, to be premiered on the 21st of November, is the follow-up of a two-film version of the well-known theatrical musical Wicked, which centers on the surprising friendship between two very different witches.

The show itself is a adaptation of the 1900 story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who plays the benevolent sorceress Glinda, was dressed in a light pink sequin dress at the premiere while Erivo, who portrays the Elphaba, wore a elegant ensemble embroidered with roses.

They were alongside co-star Jeff Goldblum.

The first movie, Wicked, was the top-earning movie of last year in the UK, and earned a dozen award recognitions, winning several for best costume and artistic direction.

Ricardo Lloyd
Ricardo Lloyd

A passionate gamer and tech writer with over a decade of experience in the gaming industry, specializing in indie games and console reviews.