A court in Singapore has sentenced an Australian man to nine days in prison for grabbing Hollywood star Ariana Grande at a movie premiere.
Johnson Wen, 26, was found guilty of being a public nuisance over the high-profile incident last Thursday at the Asia premiere for Wicked: For Good. Videos posted on social media show Wen jumping the barriers, charging at a visibly shocked Grande and grabbing her shoulders while jumping up and down.
The incident sparked outrage in Singapore, where many called for the arrest and deportation of Wen, who has a history of disrupting concerts and celebrity events. Several accused him of re-traumatising Grande, who has previously discussed her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.
During the trial, the court heard Wen attempted to intrude on the movie premiere twice. After the grab, Grande's co-star, Cynthia Erivo, forcibly pried him off before security escorted him out. Although Wen was stopped, he made a second attempt to breach the barricades, which led to him being pinned down by security.
Wen later shared videos of the incident on social media, expressing thanks to Grande and stating that he was free. The following day, Singaporean police arrested him and charged him with public nuisance, to which he pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors argued for a week's jail time, labeling Wen a serial intruder concerning his behavior for online popularity. He has faced previous accusations of disrupting concerts and sports events, leading to bans from various stadiums.
The Singapore law concerning public nuisance allows for a jail term of up to three months or a fine, or both. Though Grande has not publicly commented on the case, Erivo indicated that the team has faced challenges during this time, reflecting a broader sentiment concerning the importance of personal safety for celebrities.
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