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Concert Disruption: Man Ejected from Lady Gaga Show After Grabbing Ariana Grande

An Australian man previously imprisoned for rushing at Ariana Grande was removed from a Lady Gaga concert in Brisbane due to his disturbing history.

Source: bbc.co.uk2 min read
Concert Disruption: Man Ejected from Lady Gaga Show After Grabbing Ariana Grande
Image via bbc.co.uk

In brief

Johnson Wen, a known concert disruptor, was kicked out of Lady Gaga's concert in Brisbane after being recognized as a threat due to his recent public nuisance behavior, including grabbing Ariana Grande. Despite not causing any disruption at the concert, security acted preemptively to ensure the safety of the artist. Wen, who has been banned from Singapore for his actions, has sparked public outrage for his repeated behaviors at celebrity events.

An Australian man who was jailed in Singapore and deported for charging at pop star Ariana Grande has been ejected from a Lady Gaga concert in his home country.

Johnson Wen said on Instagram that he was kicked out of the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Tuesday night before the Lady Gaga show had started.

The 26-year-old, who has a history of disrupting concerts and celebrity events, was sentenced to nine days in jail by a Singapore court last month for grabbing Grande during the Asian premiere of Wicked: For Good.

Wen, who told the Singaporean judge in mitigation that he would not do it again, had not disrupted the performance in Brisbane, but was removed because of his history of public nuisance.

Videos on social media showed security guards holding Wen by the arm and leading him out of the venue as the crowd both cheered and booed. The BBC has contacted Suncorp Stadium for comment.

In a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald, the venue said it was made aware that a known serial offender may attempt to attend and disrupt the concert by Lady Gaga, who is around halfway through her Mayhem World Tour.

In the interest of the artist's safety, this individual was deemed a person of interest and not to be allowed to attend, it said.

Wen has gained notoriety since grabbing Grande at the Wicked: For Good premiere in the South East Asian city state, which is known for its strict laws, including on public behaviour.

You seem to be attention-seeking, thinking only of yourself and not the safety of others when committing these acts, Singaporean judge Christopher Goh reportedly told Wen.

Wen was also banned from Singapore following the incident.

Other videos on Wen's social media accounts show him jumping on stage and disrupting performances by global stars like Katy Perry and The Weeknd.

The incident with Grande sparked outrage in Singapore. Fans accused Wen of re-traumatising the pop star and actress.

Grande has spoken of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after a suicide bomb attack at her May 2017 concert in Manchester, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds.

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