Man That Touched Ariana Grande at Film Launch Barred from Singapore
A man from Australia who vaulted over a barricade and grabbed celebrity Ariana Grande has been expelled and banned from Singapore.
Johnson Wen, aged 26, was sentenced to nine days in jail for being a public nuisance and has now been "banned from entering the country again," the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority informed Singaporean press.
He forced his way through camera crews and rushed toward the actress and singer, who was attending the regional launch for Wicked: For Good on 13 November. Co-performer Cynthia Erivo wrestled him away from Grande.
The individual has a record of causing disturbances at events and high-profile gatherings, including jumping on stage at a Katy Perry performance in Sydney in June this year.
The occurrence provoked strong reactions in Singapore, with numerous people claiming he of re-traumatising Grande.
The celebrity has mentioned dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder after a explosive incident at her show in Manchester in spring of 2017 resulted in the deaths of 22 people and affected hundreds.
In the legal process, the court heard he had tried to gain access on the red carpet event twice, according to regional reports.
He then made a follow-up try to breach security. Security staff stopped him and pinned him down.
Wen later posted videos expressing gratitude to the star for permitting his access and said he was "released."
Law enforcement took him into custody the next day and charged him with public nuisance, to which the man admitted guilt.
The District Judge the judicial official was referenced by media reports as saying that the man sought attention, adding that he was mistaken to think he would not experience repercussions.
Grande has not addressed the case.
The co-star spoke about the incident to the press, saying that she "simply desired to make sure my friend was secure."
"I believe he didn't mean us harm, but you cannot be certain with those things, and I sought to ensure that she was OK. That was my initial reaction," she said.