Cynthia Erivo is reflecting on her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande’s red-carpet scare.
A man charged at Grande, 32, and grabbed her at the “Wicked: For Good” red-carpet premiere in Singapore on Thursday. Erivo, 38, jumped into action to help Grande before the fan was taken away by security.
Two days later, Erivo spoke about the incident alongside Grande during a special Screen Actors Guild screening held at the Television Academy in Los Angeles.
Cynthia Erivo at the 16th Governors Awards on Nov. 16. Getty Images
Ariana Grande attends the 16th Governors Awards in Los Angeles. REUTERS“What’s even more wonderful is the fact that there are other people who have seen themselves in this movie, in that character, and also now see themselves and feel safe,” Erivo said about her character, Elphaba.
“That, for me, is the pinnacle of what I could ever wish for from any piece of work I have ever done,” the British actress continued. “And I am so glad that in order to do it, I had to look into the eyes of this person beside me.”
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in “Wicked: For Good.” ©Universal/Courtesy Everett CollectionErivo went on, “We have come through some s–t. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings. I mean, f–k, even this last week.”
“Let’s be honest, for f–k’s sakes, we’ve had to really deal with some stuff, and this movie has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses,” she added.
Grande nodded along to Erivo’s comments and got emotional, but she did not speak about the incident.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the “Wicked: For Good” premiere in Singapore. The Straits Times/AFP via Getty Images
A man charges at Ariana Grande at the premiere. The Straits Times/AFP via Getty Images
The man who went after Ariana Grande at the premiere. The Straits Times/AFP via Getty ImagesJohnson Wen, the man who charged at Grande on the red carpet, was sentenced to nine days in prison after he was found guilty of being a public nuisance, BBC News reported on Monday.
Wen, who had no legal representation in court, pleaded guilty to the incident and reportedly told the judge he would “not do it again.”
According to local media, Wen was facing up to three months of jail time and a fine of up to $2,000.
Johnson Wen, the man who grabbed Ariana Grande on the red carpet. Pyjama Man/Instagram
Cynthia Erivo protects Ariana Grande during the incident in Singapore. Pyjama Man/InstagramWen, an Australian who posts under the handle “Pyjama Man” on Instagram, has a history of invading celebrity events, such as Katy Perry’s and The Weeknd’s concerts.
He typically records the incidents and posts them on social media, which was the case when he went after Grande.
“Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You,” he captioned a video of the scare in Singapore.
Ariana Grande attends the “Wicked: For Good” premiere in Singapore. Getty Images
Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in “Wicked: For Good.” ©Universal/Courtesy Everett CollectionGrande, who plays Glinda alongside Erivo’s Elphaba in the “Wicked” films, remained in high spirits despite the scary situation.
The pop star posted snaps from the press tour on Instagram over the weekend and wrote, “Thank you, Singapore ♡ we love you.”
“Wicked: For Good” hits theaters on Friday.
