Judge seeks nine-day jail sentence for serial intruder who disrupted ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere
The Australian man who caused a scene at the ‘Wicked: For Good’ movie premiere in Singapore has been sentenced to nine days’ jail. The accused, Johnson Wen, had jumped over the security barrier and grabbed pop star Ariana Grande.
Wen, who pleaded guilty to one charge of being a public nuisance, arrived in Singapore on an extended 90-day social visit pass shortly before the incident.
Court says intruder publicised stunts ‘for fame’
According to The Straits Times (ST), Wen appeared in court on Monday (17 Nov), showing no reaction even as videos of the incident were played back.
The prosecution noted that Wen was a “serial intruder” with a pattern of pulling stunts at high-profile events and then publicising them online “in the pursuit of fame”. Thus, the prosecution sought a one-week jail sentence.
Additionally, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim stressed that being a fan was not a mitigating factor.
When asked if he had anything to say in mitigation, Wen simply replied:
I won’t do it again, Your Honour.
Pressed a second time, he repeated that he would stop such acts.
Judge notes premeditation and ‘attention-seeking’ behaviour
The judge highlighted Wen’s history of similar behaviour and reminded him that Singapore will not allow such conduct to go unpunished.
“You should be mindful that there are always consequences for one’s actions,” District Judge Christopher Goh was reported saying.
Calling his actions premeditated and attention-seeking, the judge noted that Wen had shown disregard for the safety of others.
Source: @pyjamamann on Instagram
The court ultimately imposed a “small uplift” to the prosecution’s request, sentencing him to nine days’ jail.
Under Singapore law, causing a public nuisance carries a maximum penalty of three months’ jail, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both.
Intruder charges towards Ariana Grande at ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere
The conviction follows the incident on Thursday (13 Nov) at the ‘Wicked: For Good’ Singapore premiere.
Wen had jumped the yellow carpet barrier and charged straight towards Grande.
He wrapped his arms around her and jumped up and down before co-star Cynthia Erivo separated the pair.
Source: @raphael.sli on TikTok
On Friday (14 Nov), authorities arrested Wen in Temple Street.
He was charged on the same day and has since been in remand.
Apart from the ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere, Wen has infamously breached several events globally since 2023.
These include Katy Perry’s ‘The Lifetimes’ tour in Sydney, The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour in Melbourne, and the Men’s 100m Final at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Also read: 7 times Johnson Wen, aka Pyjama Man, evaded security & crashed secure events
7 times Johnson Wen, aka Pyjama Man, evaded security & crashed secure events
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from MS News and @raphael.sli on TikTok.
