Chaos on the yellow carpet: TikToker 'Pyjama Man' rushes at Ariana Grande at Singapore premier of Wicked at USS
A man from Australia who goes by the name "Pyjama Man" sparked outrage after he evaded security and lunged at Ariana Grande during the movie premiere of Wicked: For Good at Resorts World Sentosa on Nov 13.
The TikToker - whose real name is reportedly Johnson Wen - was seen sprinting towards Grande on the yellow carpet, grabbing her shoulders and putting an arm around her as he pranced for the cameras.
Grande appeared horrified but co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly intervened, pulling him away before security dragged him off.
Despite the backlash, Pyjama Man uploaded his own video of the stunt at Universal Studios Singapore on TikTok and Instagram, with the caption: "Dear Ariana Grande, Thanks for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You."
In an Instagram Story posted later, Wen appeared to flaunt the stunt, saying he was "finally free after being arrested". Wearing a white T-shirt with the word Jesus printed on it, he waved his arms high and pointed to himself as he looked at the camera.
TikToker's gatecrash enrages netizens
He has garnered the views but netizens were far from impressed with his stunt.
"In what world is this okay?" asked a TikToker.
"After all the trauma Ari has been through, this is beyond disrespectful. Not just to her, but to the cast and to all the fans. It's literally infuriating. You should be ashamed," said an Instagrammer.
Another TikToker added: "Let's not forget a terrorist attack took place at her concert a few years ago... So scary."
The netizen was alluding to an episode on May 22, 2017 when a homemade bomb was detonated by a suicide bomber in the foyer of Manchester Arena after a Grande concert, killing 22 and injuring hundreds.
Grande has been vocal about her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the bombing.
Several netizens also lamented the lack of protection for the Wicked cast, with many criticising the slow response of security staff.
"They did a terrible job protecting her," one TikToker said.
Fans of Ariana Grande were incensed, with some even vowing revenge.
"You literally assaulted her. This isn't a flex, it's a crime. shame on you!" said one on Instagram. "The arianators are going to find you TRUST," said another.
A good number of netizens were much more impressed with how Grande's co-star Erivo came to her defence.
"Cynthia working harder than the security," said a TikToker, while another said: "The concept of Cynthia being faster than security needs to be studied."
Videos of the incident were also shared on Reddit, with some calling for the police to act.
"I wonder what Police will do to him since she is a high profile celebrity," said a Redditor.
"This is @pyjamamann in IG. An Australian guy. He should be jailed and caned bruhh," said another.
He has done it before
This isn't the first time Wen, who's from Sydney, has pulled off such a stunt. He has crashed the stage of concerts by Katy Perry in Sydney in June, The Weekend two months ago in Melbourne, and The Chainsmokers in Sydney last December.
The 25-year-old's Instagram account documents his antics, with his bio describing himself as the "2023 World Cup Final Pitch Invader" and "Troll Most Hated".
Stomp has reached out to Resorts World Singapore and the police for comment.
