🔗 Share this article

Loyal supporters of Ariana Grande are calling for that a man who breached a barrier and touched the performer during the recent Wicked: For Good debut be taken into custody or deported from Singapore.

A widely shared footage shows the Australian man shoving aside camera operators and rushing toward Grande while the actors walked down a promenade accompanied by supporters.

Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly wrested the surprised star away from Mr Wen, who was observed being led away of the event by event staff.

Mr Wen stated on Instagram Thursday evening that he was "free after being detained", though legal records revealed that he was scheduled to attend court on Friday morning. It is uncertain if he was charged.

Pattern of Incidents

This is not the first time for Mr Wen, who calls himself a "Controversial Figure", has disrupted a celebrity gathering. His Instagram profile contains clips of him disrupting other celebrity events, including rushing the platform at Katy Perry's Sydney show in June this year and in a comparable manner during The Chainsmokers event in the area last December.

"Steps should be implemented applied against him as this is evidently a punishable act," stated an Instagram commenter, in a response to a video Mr Wen shared of his actions.

"This appears to be a habit... why are you not imprisoned?" a different Instagram user questioned.

Supporters Voice Worry Over Grande's Safety

Several fans accused Mr Wen for "re-traumatising" Grande, who had spoken of experiencing PTSD after a suicide bomb attack at the end of her May 2017 show in Manchester, resulting in the death of 22 people and harming many.

"Ariana has been through so many scary things... and at her Manchester concert and you thought it would be fun to jump the barricade?" wrote another message on Instagram.

Some attendees also criticised guards at the Thursday event for not being adequately prepared; while some requested online networks to remove Mr Wen's videos.

Aftermath and Event Details

In footage shared widely, Grande seemed surprised when she was touched by the intruder. Her cast members Michelle Yeoh and Erivo can be observed reassuring her while Mr Wen was escorted away by security.

Grande has remained silent on the incident, and the rest of the event carried on uninterrupted.

Numerous of attendees had gathered in a mass of emerald and rose at the Wicked: For Good Asia-Pacific debut in a Singapore mall, including several who had waited for as long as eight hours before it began.

The motion picture, to be launched on 21 November, is the follow-up of a two-film version of the acclaimed stage show Wicked, which centers on the unexpected relationship between two very different characters.

The musical itself is a spin-off of the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Grande, who acts as the character Glinda Glinda, was adorned in a champagne pink glittering gown at the event while Erivo, who acts as the Elphaba, wore a black tube gown decorated with roses.

They were joined by co-star Jeff Goldblum.

The first movie, Wicked, was the highest-grossing film of last year in the UK, and earned ten Academy Award nods, securing several for best costume and set decoration.