An Australian man with a history of disrupting celebrity events has been ejected from a Lady Gaga concert in Brisbane, Australia, just weeks after being jailed and deported from Singapore for grabbing pop star Ariana Grande, per bbc.com.
Johnson Wen, 26, claimed on Instagram that he was “kicked out” of Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday night before Lady Gaga’s show, part of her Mayhem World Tour, had even begun.
Last month, Mr Wen was sentenced to nine days in a Singaporean jail for accosting Ms Grande during the Asian premiere of the film Wicked: For Good. He was subsequently banned from the city-state, which is known for its strict public behaviour laws.
Although Mr Wen had not caused a disruption in Brisbane, Suncorp Stadium confirmed his removal was due to his history of public nuisance.
In a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald, the venue said it was informed that “a known serial offender may attempt to attend and disrupt” the show. “In the interest of the artist’s safety, this individual was deemed a person of interest and not to be allowed to attend,” the statement concluded.
Social media footage showed security guards leading Mr Wen, who has also targeted stars like Katy Perry and The Weeknd in the past, out of the venue to a mixed reaction of cheers and boos from the crowd. The BBC has contacted Suncorp Stadium for comment.
The incident with Ms Grande sparked outrage in Singapore, with fans accusing Mr Wen of “re-traumatising” the singer. Ms Grande has previously spoken about experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder following the suicide bombing at her 2017 Manchester concert.
During his sentencing in Singapore, Judge Christopher Goh reportedly told Mr Wen: “You seem to be attention-seeking, thinking only of yourself and not the safety of others when committing these acts.”
