Ariana Grande endured a frightening encounter at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good when an Australian social media personality leaped a barricade and grabbed her in a forceful hug, prompting co-star Cynthia Erivo to swiftly intervene and security to rush in, all captured on viral video.
The incident unfolded Thursday evening at Universal Studios Singapore during the yellow carpet walk for the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster musical fantasy that charmed audiences last year.
Grande, portraying Glinda alongside Erivo's Elphaba, arrived hand-in-hand with fellow stars Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum to greet excited fans who had queued since morning for the exclusive Asia-Pacific event.
As the group paused to wave and sign autographs, the man—identified online as 30-something influencer Johnson Wen, better known as "Pyjama Man" for his signature sleepwear stunts—vaulted over the barrier and charged straight at Grande, wrapping an arm around her waist while jumping excitedly.
Footage shows Grande freezing in shock, her face paling as the uninvited embrace caught her off guard.
Erivo, displaying remarkable composure, immediately lunged forward, wedging herself between the pair and shoving Wen away with firm hands on his shoulders.
Yeoh, equally startled, clung tightly to Grande's arm to support her.
Within seconds, a team of security guards swarmed the scene, tackling Wen and escorting him off the carpet amid boos from onlookers.
Grande, visibly rattled, clutched her chest and took deep, shaky breaths, leaning into Erivo's protective embrace for comfort as the group huddled briefly before proceeding.
Wen, notorious for similar disruptions, has built a following by sharing clips of his intrusions, including crashing Katy Perry's Sydney concert stage in June and bounding onstage during The Weeknd's August tour stop.
Hours after the premiere, he posted his own video of the moment on Instagram, framing it as a joyful fan interaction.
