Australian Man Deported After Jumping Barricade at Ariana Grande Event

A 26-year-old Australian man, identified as Johnson Wen, was deported after serving a nine-day jail sentence for creating a public nuisance during an event in Singapore, according to reports. Wen, who goes by the name “Pyjama Man,” was barred from reentering Singapore following the incident on November 13.

During the red-carpet premiere of the “Wicked: For Good” sequel, Wen jumped a barricade and approached Ariana Grande, putting his arm around her. Video footage showed Grande walking with cast members Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum when Wen reached her. After attempting to charge at her again, Wen was stopped by personnel.

Wen was arrested on the scene and appeared in court for a public nuisance charge. During mitigation, he told the judge he would “not do it again.” District Judge Christopher Goh described Wen as “attention-seeking” and noted a pattern of behavior, including earlier instances where Wen filmed himself interrupting prominent public occasions. Goh stated that Wen appeared to believe previous stunts had carried no consequences.

“Wen, you are wrong. You should be mindful that there are always consequences for one’s actions,” Goh said. Erivo, who stepped toward Wen as security intervened, later spoke about her immediate reaction, stating, “I wasn’t really thinking. I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe.” She added, “I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct.”

Erivo also referenced the encounter during a Screen Actors Guild screening, addressing the audience with Grande and other cast members beside her. She spoke about challenges the group had faced while working together, saying, “We have come through some s. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily working.” She added, “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 actress.”

Grande appeared emotional as Erivo continued. “That is the thing that is special about this piece,” she said. “I’ll miss being in this group of people this constantly because you don’t get a group of people this close often on a set. You don’t earn family like this often, and we have fing lucky thing to be a part of.”