NEED TO KNOW
- Cynthia Erivo has spoken out after her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande was attacked by a fan on the red carpet
- The incident occurred on Nov. 13 at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good when a fan rushed the carpet and grabbed Grande
- Erivo quickly stepped in to protect Grande while security took the man out of the venue
Cynthia Erivo broke her silence after shocking video footage of her co-star Ariana Grande being accosted by a fan at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good on Thursday, Nov. 13, made headlines.
The 38-year-old actress, who plays Elphaba in the Wicked franchise, appeared on the Today show on Thursday, Nov. 20, where she was asked by Savannah Guthrie about the incident and her decision to step in and shield Grande from the man.
“I was really thinking, I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe,” Erivo recalled. “I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but I just, you never know with those things and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. That was my first instinct.”
People has reached out to Grande for comment on the altercation.
The incident occurred as Grande was walking the yellow brick road-themed red carpet with her costars Michelle Yeoh, Erivo, and Jeff Goldblum at Universal Studios Singapore.
In footage captured by multiple eyewitnesses, a man jumped over the barricade and sprinted toward Grande, grabbing her by the shoulders. Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the film, rushed to Grande’s side, pushing the man out of the way and protecting her co-star and close friend.
Erivo and Yeoh were then seen comforting Grande and checking on her while security escorted the man out of the venue.
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The attacker was quickly identified online as Johnson Wen, who goes by the name Pyjama Man. Wen posted a video from the incident to his Instagram, writing, “@arianagrande @wickedmovie Dear Ariana Grande, Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with you ❤️.”
Shortly after the incident, Wen posted a video of himself on his Instagram Stories, writing, “I’m Free after being arrested.”
Wen has since been charged with being a public nuisance and sentenced to nine days in jail, according to The New York Times.
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He has become known for crashing celebrity event,s including jumping on stage with Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and The Chainsmokers.
Grande has been open in the past about experiencing PTSD in the wake of the 2017 bombing at her Manchester concert, which took the lives of 22 people.
“Yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well,” Grande told British Vogue in 2018. “It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss … I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”