Cynthia Erivo has leapt to the defence of her friend and co-star Ariana Grande during a frightening incident at a premiere screening of Wicked: For Good in Singapore.

The pair were walking arm-in-arm along a yellow carpet amid screaming fans when a man clad in white shorts and T-shirt suddenly jumped the barriers and rushed up to Grande, putting his arms around her.

Although security staff were hot on his heels, video footage shared online shows it was Erivo who was first to intervene and try to pull the man away.

Grande, who appeared to be signing an autograph for a fan just before the interruption, looked visibly scared and shaken.

The singer and actress was comforted by Erivo and fellow co-star Michelle Yeoh.

The fan was later identified as Johnson Wen, a serial pest and attention seeker who uses the handle Pyjama Man. He shared a video of the incident on his own social media accounts with the caption: “Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.”

Wen, who reportedly lives in Australia, has previously shared footage from other pranks, including jumping on the stage at a Katy Perry concert and running up to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli at the 2023 World Cup Final.

Other social media users were quick to condemn his latest stunt, with some describing it as distressing and disgusting.

“Dude this is not okay,” wrote one. “Look how badly you scared her! You put hands on her. I sincerely hope you charged with something and banned from events.”

Another posted: “After all the trauma Ari has been through, this is beyond disrespectful. Not just to her, but to the cast and to all the fans. It’s literally infuriating. You should be ashamed.”

Some also praised Erivo for her quick actions.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande embodied their characters during the first Wicked press run.

In 2017, Grande was performing a concert at the Manchester Arena in England when an attack by a suicide bomber killed 22 people and left hundreds injured. She has spoken previously about how she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after the tragedy.

Grande played Glinda the Good in 2024’s Wicked, while Erivo was Elphaba, with the pair both reprising their roles in the second part of the musical fantasy film, Wicked: The Good.

The actresses are said to have a special connection, which will likely be even stronger after the skirmish at the Singapore premiere.

Grande told the New York Times last year that their bond was one of her most cherished aspects of making Wicked.

“I felt held and like I had a friend every step of the way,” she said. “I’m really proud of us for how genuinely we took care of each other throughout this whole time.”