NEWSCynthia Erivo Protects Ariana Grande From Fan Charging at Her at 'Wicked: For Good' Singapore Premiere: Watch
Cynthia Erivo had Ariana Grande's back during a scary fan interaction in Singapore on Thursday, November 13.
Nov. 13 2025, Published 10:52 a.m. ET
Cynthia Erivo is very protective of Wicked costar Ariana Grande.
Their bond was put on display when an overly enthusiastic fan charged at Grande on the yellow brick road-inspired red carpet at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore on Thursday, November 13.
After a rogue man sprinted at the "Break Free" singer and put his arm around her, Erivo, 38, immediately lunged toward him and shielded Grande, 32.
A fan charged at Ariana Grande on the red carpet at the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere in Singapore on Thursday, November 13.
Cynthia Erivo has proven to be very protective of Ariana Grande.
Videos of the altercation on social media show the Harriet star pushing the man off Grande and appearing to yell at him before security intervened and removed him.
Erivo could be seen comforting her visibly startled costar.
The fan was quickly identified as Johnson Wen, who goes by "Pyjama Man" online. Wen posted a video of the incident on Instagram, writing, "Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ❤️."
Cynthia Erivo put herself in between Grande and the rogue fan.
Wen has a history of accosting celebrities, as over the summer, he jumped on stage in an effort to pose with Katy Perry and The Weeknd on separate occasions.
Many criticized Wen's actions, commenting on his post about Grande.
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Ariana Grande appeared visibly shaken following the incident.
An account dedicated to the pop star wrote, "You literally assaulted her. This isn’t a flex, it’s a crime. Shame on you!"
Another account commented on the video, "Do you think this is okay? This is sick! It ruined the experience for fans who dreamed of this moment and put lives at risk. All for pure ego! Seek help."
A third person added, "Somebody needs to take you out back," while a fourth penned, "After all the trauma Ari has been through, this is beyond disrespectful. Not just to her, but to the cast and to all the fans. It’s literally infuriating. You should be ashamed."
Ariana Grande Struggles With Trauma After Terrorist Attack at Her Concert
Ariana Grande has spoken about dealing with PTSD.
Grande has been candid about suffering from PTSD following the bombing at her Manchester concert in May 2017, in which 22 people were killed.
The "Side to Side" hitmaker told British Vogue in 2018, "It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss...I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience — like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry."
'Wicked: For Good' Details
'Wicked: For Good' premieres in the U.S. on Friday, November 21.
Wicked: For Good, also known as Wicked: Part Two, is slated to premiere in theaters in the U.S. on Friday, November 21. The first part released last year.
Grande plays Glinda while Erivo portrays Elphaba in the film adaptation of the famous musical. The star-studded cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Colman Domingo and Grande's boyfriend, Ethan Slater.
