Cynthia Erivo is speaking up about stepping in to protect Ariana Grande from an overzealous fan who ambushed her at the premiere for Wicked: For Good in Singapore.
During an interview on Today, Savannah Guthrie brought up the terrifying viral moment from the premiere when a fan grabbed Grande on the red carpet and Erivo immediately stepped in.
"I was really thinking, ‘I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe,' you know?” Erivo explained near the 2:30 mark in the video linked above. “I'm sure he didn't mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Guthrie reflected on how their on and offscreen partnership has evolved, saying, "You and Ariana have been on this journey together. I mean, it feels like, yes, you've been changed for good, but also that it's turned into a real friendship, a long one."
Erivo agreed, saying, "Yeah, this is a long lasting friendship for us. We're kind of like sisters at this moment in time, you know? And I think we've both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts. We've really looked after each other through this."
The incident involved 26-year-old Johnson Wen, also known as Pyjama Man on social media, who jumped a barricade at Universal Studios Singapore on November 13 during the Wicked: For Good premiere, charged toward Grande, and put his arm around her as she walked the red carpet, leaving her visibly shaken before Erivo stepped between them and security intervened.
As reported by the BBC, Wen was charged the next day with being a public nuisance, pleaded guilty, and was then found guilty by the court.
The outlet also reported that during his trial the court heard he tried to crash the premiere twice, attempting to jump the barricades again after being removed the first time.
Wen later posted his own video of the moment with the message "Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You" and wrote "I'm free after being arrested" on his Instagram Story.
Prosecutors, described by the BBC as labeling him a "serial intruder" who "publicized his behaviour to gain popularity online," pushed for a week of jail time, while Wen, who had no legal representation, told the judge he would "not do it again."
Although he faced a possible three month sentence or a fine under Singapore's public nuisance law, he received nine days.
Grande has not commented on the incident.
Wen has a history of crashing sporting events and concerts for artists such as Katy Perry and The Weeknd.
Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21.