Ariana Grande was accosted by a man at Singapore’s Wicked: For Good premiere, and he’s been sentenced to nine days in prison. The serial intruder, identified as 26-year-old Australian Johnson Wen, has a history of disrupting public events. He has posted videos of his interruptions on social media, where he goes by the name Pyjama Mann.
Johnson Wen receives prison sentence in Singapore
Johnson Wen was arrested and sentenced to nine days in prison for accosting Ariana Grande at Singapore’s Wicked: For Good premiere. He was charged with public nuisance, to which he pleaded guilty.
Online footage showed Wen jump out of a barrier and aggressively rush toward Grande. He placed his hand on her and started jumping, making her visibly distressed. Fortunately, Grande’s Wicked: For Good co-star, Cynthia Erivo, intervened and separated Wen from her. Security guards subsequently subdued Wen and took him away.
Wen later shared a video about the same on Instagram, which received criticism.
As per CNA, during his sentencing, the District Judge, Christopher Goh, told Wen that he was “attention seeking.” Meanwhile, public prosecutor Jane Lim pushed for a one-week jail time for Wen. She highlighted Wen’s lack of a criminal record in Singapore, but noted that this wasn’t his first offense.
Previously, Wen interrupted concert performances from Katy Perry, The Weeknd, and The Chainsmokers. He posted footage of these interruptions on his social media.
Lim called Wen “a serial intruder” with a “glaring lack of remorse.” She stressed that he needed a “sufficiently deterrent sentence” to understand that his actions were criminal and would not be condoned in Singapore.
Wen promised he won’t commit such an offense again. However, a skeptical Goh asked him if he was simply saying it or if he actually intended to follow through. Wen stressed he would stop, saying he had been “getting into trouble.”
The prosecutor said Wen needed to face jail time despite his promise. “Because his conduct has to stop at some point, and he has to change,” she explained. Lim emphasized that a jail term would ensure that Wen’s offenses would stop.
Goh reminded Wen how the latter seemingly didn’t face consequences for his past interruptions. He warned Wen to be “mindful” as one’s actions always had consequences.
Wen agreed with the prosecution that his interruption was planned. Meanwhile, the judge agreed that Wen had no remorse for his actions since the latter posted an Instagram story saying he was free after his arrest.
Wen could have faced three months of jail time, been fined S$2000, or both. However, the judge instead decided on “a small uplift,” imposing nine days of jail time, believing this would stop his behavior.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on Comingsoon.
