Cynthia Erivo Protects Ariana Grande After An Attendee Scares Pop Star At Wicked: For Good Premiere

Wicked: For Good releases in theaters worldwide next week, and the cast is busy attending major premieres, which recently resulted in star Cynthia Erivo rushing to co-star Ariana Grande’s defense. The two performers portray Elphaba and Galinda, respectively, in the Wizard of Oz prequel, becoming known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Wicked: For Good is expected to break box office records, the same ones set by its predecessor Wicked last year. 2024’s musical smash hit, directed by Jon M. Chu and adapted from the beloved Broadway musical. With one of the most anticipated movies of 2025 almost here, Wicked‘s cast has been seen at the world premiere in São Paulo and at subsequent premieres in Paris and London.

However, the cast had a scare at the premiere in Singapore on November 13, when an attendee jumped the barrier and ran to Grande, throwing his arm around her. Erivo, standing right next to Grande, immediately started pushing this person away until security stepped in seconds later. Erivo and Michelle Yeoh are seen comforting Grande for a moment before they keep walking.

The incident was captured by multiple people standing nearby, with videos having been shared across X.

PEOPLE reports that the man has been identified as Johnson Wen, known as “Pyjama Man” online, who has previously made headlines for similar stunts. This includes jumping on stage with Katy Perry in June and doing the same at one of The Weekend’s shows in August. Wen posted on his own Instagram: “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.“

Many other users across social media have called him out for harassing Grande, while noting Erivo’s protectiveness of her friend. Celebrities often find themselves in scary situations because of the intensity of parasocial relationships. Grande was also recently the target of backlash when she was forced to miss Wicked: For Good‘s world premiere due to travel issues.

Wicked: For Good star Jeff Goldblum is also seen with Erivo, Grande, and Yeoh in this video, while the movie also stars Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Bronwyn James. Wicked: For Good will be in theaters from November 21, and like its predecessor, is expected to be a major contender this awards season.