Cynthia Erivo‘s lightning quick reactions have earned her a flood of memes after she rescued close friend and co-star Ariana Grande from an over excited fan on Thursday.
The actresses are currently engaged in a world tour on behalf of their new film Wicked: For Good, the second of three planned prequels to The Wizard Of Oz.
But Thursday’s premiere in Singapore went awry after Grande was ambushed by an over-exuberant fan while walking the red carpet outside Universal Studios.
Fortunately, co-star Erivo, 38, was on hand to pull her from the ensuing melee, with many fans comparing her actions to those of Kevin Costner in Hollywood blockbuster The Bodyguard.
Taking to Instagram on Friday morning, fans heaped praise on the British actress for risking her own safety while assisting her co-star.
Sharing a brief video of the incident, one commented: ‘Now THAT’S friendship. WOW. Pretty’s scary stuff but having a friend like that leap into action? I’m sensing a Bodyguard reboot!
Cynthia Erivo ‘s lightning quick reactions have earned her a flood of memes after she rescued close friend and co-star Ariana Grande from an over excited fan on Thursday
Thursday’s premiere in Singapore went awry after Grande was ambushed by an over-exuberant fan while walking the red carpet outside Universal Studios
‘PS There was so much security. How did this even happen?’
Commenting on the post, a second fan added: ‘That’s a true friend. She didn’t even think for herself she sprung to protect.’
Elsewhere, a third joked: ‘Cynthia was Amazing! If she ever needs a job outside of Acting Security is her gig.’
While a fourth wrote: ‘Girl, if there something you don’t do is, to mes with a Capricorn’s friend in front of them. Mama Bear Mode in nano seconds…’ [sic]
Sharing a photo of the actress looking furious as she wrapped a protective arm around Grande, another commented: ‘Cynthia Erivo is a 6x threat: Singer, Actress, Dancer, Writer, Model, BODYGUARD. As if I couldn’t possibly LOVE her more.’
The filmed incident, which was shared widely online, showed the man lunging at Grande and putting his arm around her, as she struggled to get away outside Singapore’s Universal Studios.
Way ahead of security, Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the film, jumped in between her friend and the man to try and block him while seemingly shouting something at him.
Moments later a group of security guards at the event then pulled him away, leaving a visibly shaken Grande being comforted by her co-star.
Erivo’s heroics (left) have been compared to the actions of Kevin Costner in Hollywood blockbuster The Bodyguard (right)
Taking to Instagram on Friday morning, fans heaped praise on the British actress for risking her own safety while assisting her co-star
He was wearing a white T-shirt and shorts and had distinctive long black hair with dyed blue streaks.
He was quickly identified as notorious Australian red carpet crasher Johnson Wen, who is also known as Pyjama Man online.
Wen has shared videos after accosting other celebrities such as Katy Perry, The Weeknd and electronic duo The Chainsmokers in a similar manner during their gigs.
He later hared clips from the moment on his Instagram Story, writing: ‘Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.’
Eerie videos taken before he jumped over a barricade to see Grande show him saying it is his ‘dream’ to meet the actress.
Standing underneath a poster of the actress in Wicked, he says: ‘I feel like I’m in a dream. That’s my best friend Ariana Grande and I’m going to meet her. I’ve been dreaming about that’, before doing a theatrical laugh.
Following the stunt, Wen claimed he was ‘free’ after Grande fans watched him being tackled to the ground by security.
Wen previously vowed to stop invading celebrities’ space when he was charged after interrupting Katy Perry’s Sydney concert in June.
Thursday’s premiere in Singapore went awry after Grande was ambushed by an over-exuberant fan while walking the red carpet outside Universal Studios
The over excited fan was quickly identified as notorious Australian red carpet crasher Johnson Wen, who is also known as Pyjama Man online
He was charged with two offences – entering enclosed land and obstructing a person in performance of work or duties.
The prankster was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Burwood Local Court on June 23.
Wen was also issued with a notice barring him from entering the Sydney Olympic Park Precinct for six months.
In 2020, he received a $250 fine for dangling from a Brisbane footbridge and also received a $220 fine for a pitch invasion at a 2021 rugby union match.
He boasts on his Instagram bio he is the ‘most hated troll’ and ‘2023 WorId Cup FinaI Pitch lnvader’.
Grande and her co-stars were in good spirits moments before the incident, walking hand in hand along the crowded carpet
Following the incident, Grande held on to a concerned-looking Erivo’s arm as they walked the red carpet
He told 9News at the time he did it for fun and loves the rush of stage crashing.
Wen said: ‘I said “let me get on stage with you”, then she [Katy Perry] freaked out because she realised I wasn’t a performer. I was about to do like extra Fortnite moves but security got there too quick.’
The prankster, who has insisted he isn’t a threat, has also conducted invasions at the Olympics in Paris, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the men’s Cricket World Cup final in India.
He said ‘I just got on there, and as soon as I got tackled I got in a lot of trouble,’ he said of the invasion in India.
Grande later broke her silence to thank Singapore based fans in an Instagram post
Grande as Glinda Upland (left) and Erivo as Elphaba Thropp (right) in Wicked: For Good
Wen, who is unemployed and was last known to be living in a backpackers’ hostel, is said to have racked up $20,000 in fines, according to the publication.
At the time, he said he plans to stop crashing red carpets and stages, saying: ‘I’m planning to quit forever because you get in way too much trouble for it, especially me, because I’ve done it so many times.’
In December last year, Wen ran on stage at The Chainsmokers’ set at the Palm Tree Festival in Sydney, with security pulling his legs out from underneath him to try to stop him.
Over the summer, the Instagrammer invaded stage during The Weeknd’s Melbourne show, an incident that led to the R&B singer losing his earpiece.
