Cynthia Erivo is opening up about the moment she stepped in to protect Ariana Grande from an overzealous fan who rushed her at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore.
In an interview on Today, Savannah Guthrie brought up the viral moment where a fan grabbed Grande on the red carpet, prompting Erivo to react instantly.
“I was really thinking, ‘I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe,’” Erivo said around the 2:30 mark. “I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct.”
Guthrie also noted how their bond has grown both on and offscreen, saying it feels like their partnership has turned into a real, lasting friendship.
Erivo agreed. “Yeah, this is a long lasting friendship for us. We’re kind of like sisters at this moment in time,” she said. “I think we’ve both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts. We’ve really looked after each other through this.”
The incident involved 26-year-old Johnson Wen, known online as Pyjama Man, who jumped a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore on November 13 during the Wicked: For Good premiere, ran toward Grande, and put his arm around her on the red carpet. Grande was visibly shaken before Erivo stepped in and security pulled him away.
According to the BBC, Wen was charged the next day with being a public nuisance, pleaded guilty, and was found guilty in court.
During his trial, the court heard that Wen actually tried to crash the premiere twice, attempting to jump the barricades again after being removed the first time.
Wen later shared his own video of the moment with the caption, “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” and posted “I’m free after being arrested” on his Instagram Story.
Prosecutors, whom the BBC described as calling him a “serial intruder” who “publicized his behaviour to gain popularity online,” pushed for a week in jail. Wen, who had no lawyer, told the judge he would “not do it again.”
Although he faced up to three months in jail or a fine under Singapore’s public nuisance law, he was sentenced to nine days.
Grande has not addressed the incident.
Wen is known for crashing sporting events and concerts for artists including Katy Perry and The Weeknd.
Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21.
