Imagine leaving the house and always having to be on the lookout for someone trying to invade your personal space for publicity. In recent years, more and more celebrities have had to be more aware of their surroundings. As a result, one man has been known to do this across different events, targeting multiple musicians and artists.
Johnson Wen, known as “Pyjama Man” on various social media platforms, is known for storming different concerts or public events to get a chance to meet celebrities. However, this has become a safety issue for the affected celebrities.
Nov. 13 at the Singapore premiere of “Wicked: For Good,” the cast of the film, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum, walked hand-in-hand down the “yellow carpet.” Though they were surrounded by security, Wen hopped the barrier and rushed the group, grabbing Grande and jumping when he successfully reached her.
Erivo immediately jumped into action, coming between Grande and Wen as security grabbed Wen and escorted him off the carpet. Grande bravely continued walking down the carpet after the scare with the rest of the cast, though she was visibly shaken up from the event.
Following Wen’s release from jail, he posted about the attack on social media, displaying no remorse for his actions.
“Dear Ariana Grande, Thank You for letting me jump on the Yellow Carpet with you,” Wen wrote in an Instagram caption.
This isn’t the first time Wen has broken through barriers and stormed stages. He has run up on stage at various concerts, including those of Katy Perry, The Weeknd and The Chainsmokers. Wen also ran on the field during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and attempted to invade a track event during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
While Wen has never stated why he keeps doing this, it’s clear he believes what he is doing is OK, despite the fines and jail time he accumulates.
He isn’t the only person to have done something like this. Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have all experienced similar instances in the past, proving that people’s parasocial relationships with celebrities are not a new instance.
People often forget that celebrities are people, too. While celebrities are naturally in the public eye, this doesn’t invite people to invade their personal lives and push their boundaries.
Because of this lack of respect, some people take their fandoms to the extreme, developing parasocial relationships. These are one-sided relationships with a celebrity, influencer or fictional character. With the rise of social media, it has become increasingly easier for people to develop these relationships.
People like Wen need to be stopped. He has a clear pattern of attacking celebrities, and he doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. To prevent this type of harassment, Wen should be blacklisted from attending these events for the safety of the celebrities.
As quite the fangirl myself, I also enjoy engaging with celebrities on social media. Commenting and reposting on my favorite celebrities' posts have become some of my favorite things to do online. However, even something as simple as this could cause these parasocial relationships to develop.
There are apps that allow people to have fake conversations with celebrities and characters using artificial intelligence. Character.ai is just one of many apps used to develop false relationships with celebrities.
These are just a few of the dangers out there, and it’s clear something needs to be done to keep celebrities safe. Increasing security at concerts and taking initiative to ban these offenders from attending future events could build a safer environment for celebrities.
Sophia Anness is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Sophia about her column? Email/tweet them at sa425522@ohio.edu /@AnnessSoph0415
