Pop star turned actress Ariana Grande stepped into the spotlight alongside co-star Cynthia Erivo at the Asia premiere for Wicked: For Good on Nov. 13. However, the crowd transitioned from welcoming the celebrities and taking photos to panicking and worrying for their safety as circulating posts on social media have shown Johnson Wen, a 26 year old male, jumping the barrier and grabbing Grande by the shoulders while jumping up and down. Even after being prosecuted once, Wen attempted to jump the barricade a second time before being taken away by security. Wen faced a court in Singapore just days later and is currently sentenced to nine days in prison for public nuisance.
It comes as a surprise to many that Wen is only facing a little over a week in prison, since Singapore’s public nuisance laws threaten up to three months alongside a $2,000 fine. However, the severity of the situation is incomparable to the length of Wen’s sentence, and it is very important to always be aware of one’s surroundings, especially as a bystander at a big event where just one mistake can turn everything into a disaster.
