Ariana Grande’s return to the red carpet turned into a frightening scene on Thursday (November 13), when a man lunged at her during the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good.
The incident that left the singer visibly shaken and immediately protected by her costars Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh.
The man was promptly removed from the scene by security, but an internet manhunt soon began to find and shame him.
Highlights
- Fans tracked down the attacker within minutes, only for him to claim responsibility for the incident online.
- Johnson Wen has a documented history of invading concerts, sports events, and red carpets.
- Netizens demanded legal consequences, arguing his stunts put celebrities and bystanders at risk.
Little did the internet know, however, that the perpetrator was a serial offender who had built his entire social media presence around invading concert stages, disrupting televised events, and grabbing celebrities without their consent.
“How has he not been arrested yet!?” a viewer asked.
Ariana Grande was lunged at by a crazed fan during the Singapore premiere for Wicked: For Good
Image credits: TheCinesthetic
The chaos erupted at Universal Studios Singapore, where Grande was walking the yellow brick road carpet alongside Erivo, Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum.
In videos recorded from multiple angles, a man in a white shirt and shorts suddenly sprinted toward Grande, grabbing her around the shoulders as she tried to pull away.
The attacker, sporting long black hair with blue streaks, wrapped his arm around her before Erivo stepped in, placing herself between him and Grande.
Security rushed forward and dragged him off as Grande repeatedly exhaled, trembling, with both Erivo and Yeoh holding onto her for support.
Image credits: pyjamamann
Witnesses who watched the scene unfold described it as scary and potentially dangerous.
Given Grande’s history with trauma and anxiety following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, many fans expressed heartbreak seeing her caught off guard by a man physically grabbing her in public.
The singer and actress had previously spoken about living with PTSD after the bombing took the lives of 22 people.
“Yeah, it’s a real thing,” she told British Vogue in 2018.
“It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss … I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”
The man claimed responsibility almost immediately, given that he’s an influencer known for invading events
Image credits: pyjamamann
What happened next was almost as surreal as the attack itself.
Within minutes, fans online launched a manhunt to identify the red carpet crasher. The search didn’t last long, mainly because the man wanted to be found.
He is Johnson Wen, better known on social media as “Pyjama Man,” a self-described troll who has made a brand out of invading high-profile events to take photos with celebrities. Wen proudly posted his own angle of the attack on Instagram shortly after it occurred, captioning it:
“Dear Ariana Grande, Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”
Image credits: pyjamamann
The reaction online was instant outrage. Comments ranged from “Have some shame” to “You traumatized her for likes” to “How are you still allowed near events?”
But the more fans investigated, the more they discovered this was far from an isolated incident, and Ariana wasn’t the only celebrity touched without consent by Wen.
From Katy Perry to The Weeknd, Wen has spent the past two years invading stages in a desperate attempt to become famous online
As users combed through his social media history, a pattern emerged.
Wen has spent the past two years barging into celebrity concerts, ceremonies, sports events, and even public spaces, all in a desperate attempt to go viral.
He proudly refers to himself as the internet’s “Most Hated Troll.”
Wen’s pattern of disruption goes back to August 20, 2023, when he stormed the field during the FIFA Women’s World Cup final. He proudly posted the footage afterward, treating the security breach as a victory.
From there, the behavior only escalated.
On December 7, 2024, he ran toward The Chainsmokers during a live performance in Sydney and was immediately tackled by security. Still, he captioned the incident as if it were a collaboration, writing, “Thanks for letting me on Stage.”
By June 2025, he had moved on to pop megastars.
That month, he jumped onstage during a Katy Perry performance, placing his hand on her shoulder as she awkwardly stepped away, startled. He later celebrated the intrusion in the same way.
Just weeks later, in August 2025, he targeted The Weeknd during a concert, forcing the singer to step back in alarm before guards dragged him offstage. Wen again framed the intrusion as the artist “inviting” him, writing, “Thanks for letting me stay on Stage.”
He also uploads dozens of videos of himself wearing pajamas inside malls, restaurants, and metro cars, disrupting people around him for attention.
This is his entire “career”: provoke chaos, get removed, post the footage.
But despite years of antics, Wen has only gathered 9,000 followers, with most posts barely reaching 400 likes. The one exception is his Katy Perry stunt, the only time he came close to going viral.
Netizens expressed outrage that the man has faced no real penalties, arguing that his behavior puts others at risk
Image credits: pyjamamann
This has led to a central question online: How is he still able to do this?
Dozens of comments asked why Wen has not been banned, fined, deported, or legally restricted from approaching celebrities or entering major public events.
Others wondered whether certain loopholes in international law allow him to keep avoiding consequences.
Many users argued that his actions constitute harassment. Others pointed out the dangers he exposes himself and others to, as a security team mistaking his intrusion for an armed attack could lead to retaliation.
Image credits: pyjamamann
“He keeps doing this because no one stops him. This isn’t funny anymore,” a viewer wrote.
“This guy is desperate for fame and Ariana deserves better security,” another added.
As of now, authorities in Singapore have not issued an official public statement about whether Wen will face penalties for putting his hands on the actress.
“I say we mass report him for violence because that’s what he does, he violently inserts himself into the personal space of other people,” a fan argued.
"She him." Viewers called for the man to face legal consequences for his actions
Image credits: tophmyc
Image credits: agayinthebubble
Image credits: Aryan_MW
Image credits: moonlightprnt
Image credits: arianalstan
Image credits: human10219
Image credits: vallingangel
Image credits: IsaacToafa
Image credits: retrod4ncefre4k
Image credits: shamelessummer
Image credits: DAYL1GHTNIALL
Image credits: mooneraze
Image credits: alice51703
Image credits: heyitstrevorr
Image credits: Snobbydog11
Image credits: arilivpink