Earlier this week, pop star Ariana Grande was accosted by a fan at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good, which saw her costar Cynthia Erivo step in to protect her
David Muir opened Thursday’s World News Tonight segment by sounding the alarm over a security breach involving Ariana Grande at a film premiere in Singapore, labeling the incident as ‘alarming.’
“A man leaping over a barricade, rushing at her,” Muir, 52, said, describing the scene that occurred earlier in the day. “Co-star Cynthia Erivo jumping in to protect her.”
The incident happened at the premiere of Wicked: Part Two – For Good, as Grande, 32, was greeting fans on the yellow carpet when a man bypassed security, approached her, and placed his arm around her. Erivo, 38, who plays Elphaba in the film, physically pushed the man away while yelling, “Get off!” Video shows Grande visibly shaken as fans shouted, “Ariana, are you OK?” She continued the event with Erivo, holding her hand, after looking visibly shaken.
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ABC reporter Morgan Norwood, who was covering the incident, confirmed the man’s identity as Johnson Wynn, a social media figure known online as “Pjyama Man.” Wynn has posted similar stunts before and had been previously arrested for confronting Katy Perry on stage during a Sydney concert.
Wynn later posted a video of the Singapore incident to his Instagram account, writing, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with you.”
His TikTok, which boasts 4059 followers, includes a clip of him joining Perry on stage in June. “Dear Katy Perry thanks for letting me Dance on Stage,” he wrote at the time of the post. “You made my Childhood Memory since 2008.”
Critics online slammed Wynn’s posts. “This is so disturbing,” one user wrote, as another asked, “How is he able to get soooo close to celebrities?”
Taking to his TikTok, commenters had mixed opinions as one joked, “Cynthia working harder then the security.”
Another penned, “Obviously this is awful to do to ANY celebrity, but specifically to do it to Ariana, someone who’s had SO much trauma in her life in general, and SPECIFICALLY the Manchester bombing, goes way beyond inappropriate into abject cruelty.”
“The fact that some ppl think this is funny and cool is absolutely wild to me,” a third added.
Muir noted that this is only the latest in a string of similar encounters with celebrities. Last month, a fan grabbed Billie Eilish during a performance in Miami before being immediately removed by security.
“These incidents are really unsettling,” Muir said. “And they’re sparking new concerns about celebrity safety.”
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