Cynthia Erivo On “Instinct” To Protect Ariana Grande On Red Carpet

After an overzealous Ariana Grande fan landed in jail for nine days, Cynthia Erivo is opening up about why she sprung into action.

The 3x Oscar nominee recently detailed what was going through her head when she shoved away Australian influencer Johnson Wen (aka Pyjamamann) as he rushed Grande and put his arm around her last week on the red carpet of Wicked: For Good‘s Singapore premiere.

“I wasn’t really thinking,” said Erivo on Today. “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. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. That was my first instinct.”

Wen, who was charged with being a public nuisance, posted a video of himself jumping the barricade and running to Grande. “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” he wrote on Instagram.

Having since pleaded guilty, Wen was sentenced to nine days in jail, promising a judge he would not repeat his behavior.

The serial invader has previously attempted similar stunts at a Katy Perry show, a Chainsmokers concert and a variety of sporting events such as the 2023 FIFA World Cup FinaI, among many other events.