The man who grabbed Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good Singapore premiere wasn’t an overexcited fan. He is the same person who has been crashing celebrity events for years, and older videos of him approaching stars are now circulating everywhere.
His name is Johnson Wen, a man viewers online instantly recognised the moment Ariana’s clip hit social media. People realised he had appeared in multiple viral moments before. He once rushed toward Katy Perry during a live concert. He attempted to approach The Weeknd at an event. He managed to get dangerously close to The Chainsmokers. He even forced himself toward Virat Kohli during a public appearance. Every time, he somehow slipped past security long enough to get uncomfortably close before being dragged away.
The Ariana moment, however, crossed a serious line. He actually grabbed her arm. She looked startled, security moved fast, and the entire section of the crowd froze for a second. After the videos resurfaced, fans everywhere started asking how the same man keeps showing up at major events with different artists and still manages to reach the stage or the celebrity.
Online reactions are intense. People are shocked that a repeat offender so well known to the internet can keep getting past security at high-profile events. Many feel this isn’t fandom behaviour at all anymore. It’s unsafe and deeply uncomfortable to watch, especially because Ariana is someone who has experienced traumatic incidents in the past related to crowd and event safety.
Old clips of Wen approaching Katy Perry, The Weeknd, The Chainsmokers and others are now going viral again. In every single one, he rushes forward with the same pattern, the same confidence, almost like he knows exactly where to break through. Fans who have been following these clips over the years are now calling for strict global bans, actual action and real consequences.
Also Read: Cynthia Erivo Steps In To Protect Ariana Grande At Wicked For Good Premiere
The conversation online is simple. If he can get this close to Ariana Grande, if he could get this close to Katy Perry, The Weeknd, The Chainsmokers and even someone like Virat Kohli, then clearly there is a huge security failure happening repeatedly. Fans feel celebrities should not have to rely on luck to stay safe in public spaces.
Ariana is safe, thankfully, but this incident has opened up a much larger conversation. People are not just asking how he got there. They are asking how he keeps doing this. And why no one has stopped him yet.
