In brief
A man has been charged in Singapore for public nuisance after grabbing singer Ariana Grande during her appearance at the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere. Johnson Wen, 26, breached barricades and confronted Grande, sparking a viral outrage on social media. He has a history of similar disruptions and could face fines if found guilty. Fans have criticized security measures and expressed concern for Grande's past trauma related to a previous attack at her concert.
A man who jumped over a barricade and grabbed actress Ariana Grande at a Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore has been charged with being a public nuisance.
A now viral video shows the Australian man, Johnson Wen, pushing past photographers and charging at Grande while the cast made its way down a yellow carpet surrounded by fans. Co-star Cynthia Erivo could be seen wrestling the stunned actress away from Mr. Wen.
The 26-year-old had posted on Instagram late on Thursday that he was free after being arrested. However, on Friday afternoon, he was charged with being a public nuisance by a Singapore court. The incident caused massive outrage in the city-state.
Local media reports say Mr. Wen, who was unrepresented, intends to plead guilty.
This is not the first time Mr. Wen, who describes himself as a Troll Most Hated, has invaded a concert or event. His Instagram feed includes clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry's Sydney concert in June this year. He did the same at a concert by The Chainsmokers last December.
If found guilty, he may be fined up to S$2000 ($1540; £1170).
Fans had earlier called for him to be arrested and deported.
There needs to be action [taken] against him as this is clearly a criminal offence, wrote an Instagram user, in a comment on a video Mr. Wen posted of his act.
Several accused Mr. Wen of re-traumatizing Grande, who has spoken of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at the end of her May 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.
Grande has not commented on the incident, and the rest of the event proceeded as planned. The BBC has reached out to Singapore's police and immigration authority for comment.
