Cynthia Erivo steps in to protect Ariana Grande on ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere in Singapore

WASHINGTON,DC: Actress Cynthia Erivo acted swiftly to protect singer Ariana Grande when a man attempted to grab her on the red carpet during the ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere in Singapore, according to Variety.

Erivo, speaking for the first time about the incident on the “Today” show, said, “I wasn’t really thinking. I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe. I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things. That was my first instinct.”

The man, identified as 26-year-old Johnson Wen from Australia, was later found guilty of being a public nuisance in a Singapore court and sentenced to nine days in prison. Court proceedings revealed that Wen tried to intrude on the red carpet twice — first by rushing at Grande and attempting to grab her, and again after being escorted away by security. Wen pleaded guilty and assured the court he would not repeat the act, according to Variety.

During subsequent press events, neither Erivo nor Grande addressed the incident directly. However, Erivo alluded to the ordeal during a Los Angeles screening, stating, “We have come through some shit… I mean, even this last week, let’s be honest.”

“Wicked: For Good,” starring Erivo and Grande, is currently playing in theatres nationwide, distributed by Universal Pictures, according to Variety. (ANI)