Cynthia Erivo wanted to “make sure [her] friend was safe” when she rushed to Ariana Grande’s aid at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore last week, though she was sure the man who jumped the barrier to rush her pal didn’t mean any “harm”.
Cynthia Erivo wanted to “make sure [her] friend was safe” when she rushed to Ariana Grande’s aid at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore last week.
The 38-year-old actress won praise last week for pushing away Johnson Wen, who is known as Pyjama Man on Instagram, when he jumped the barrier at the event and rushed the Thank U, Next singer, and while she didn’t think the man meant any “harm”, she still wanted to protect her pal.
Speaking on the Today show, Cynthia said of the incident: “I was really thinking, I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but I just, you never know with those things and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. That was my first instinct.”
Cynthia previously touched on the incident when she reflected on the bond she and Ariana share.
Speaking at a special Screen Actors Guild screening held at the Television Academy in Los Angeles over the weekend, Entertainment Weekly reports Cynthia said: “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.
“That, for me, is the pinnacle of what I could ever wish for from any piece of work I have ever done. And I am so glad that in order to do it, I had to look into the eyes of this person beside me.
“And we have come through some s***. We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings.
“I mean, f***, even this last week. Let’s be honest, for f**’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.”
As Cynthia spoke, Ariana nodded her head, but when she started talking about the incident in Singapore, the singer stared straight ahead before eventually growing tearful.
Red carpet crasher Wen has become known for disrupting concerts, after he did so at a Katy Perry gig in June, and The Weeknd’s show in August, as well as the Paris Olympics last year.
Before the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, he said: “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.”
He was arrested but later freed, and took to Instagram to “thank” Ariana.
Sharing a video of the incident, he wrote: “@arianagrande @wickedmovie Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You [heart emoji]”
Following the incident, he wrote on his Instagram Stories: “I’m free after being arrested.”
Cynthia Erivo wanted to make sure Ariana Grande was ‘safe’ during premiere crasher incident
