Man Who Stormed Stage at Ariana Grande Event Sentenced to 9 Days in Jail

The influencer who accosted singer and actress Ariana Grande at a recent event has been handed a jail sentence.

According to a Daily Mail report on the 17th (local time), Johnson W. from Australia, who grabbed Grande at the Singapore premiere of the film 'Wicked: For Good,' was sentenced to 9 days in prison on the 9th.

W. pleaded guilty to one count of causing a public nuisance. Singaporean District Judge Christopher Goh noted that W.'s actions were pre-planned and that he had a pattern of behavior suggesting he would do it again. He stated, "You appear to want attention, and when you commit these acts, you seem to only think of yourself and not the safety of others."

The judge told W. that he was "mistaken" to think his actions would have no consequences, emphasizing, "A person must always remember that actions have consequences." He added, "We need to send a signal to such individuals that acts that could potentially damage Singapore's reputation as a safe country will not be tolerated."

At the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere last week, W. rushed towards Grande as cast members walked the yellow carpet. He wrapped his arms around her and waved to the crowd. Co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately stepped in to protect Grande, jumping between her and W. W. was then apprehended by security and removed from the barricade.

After the commotion, W. posted a video and message on his social media, saying, "Thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you, Ariana Grande."

Grande herself has not directly addressed the incident, only posting "Thank you, Singapore" after the premiere.

Johnson W. has a history of disrupting events, having previously caused controversy by crashing concerts by The Weeknd and Katy Perry.

Netizens reacted with concern for Grande's safety, with comments like, "Imagine how scared Ariana must have been!" and "This shouldn't happen at any celebrity event." Some also questioned the leniency of the sentence, asking, "Is 9 days really enough for causing such a disturbance?"