Cynthia Erivo is speaking out after stepping in when a fan jumped the barricade at a "Wicked: For Good" premiere event.
"We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings," Erivo said at a Screen Actors Guild screening of the movie, per Entertainment Weekly. "I mean … even this last week. Let's be honest … 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."
Erivo's comments call back to the "Wicked: For Good" premiere in Singapore Nov. 13, when an Australian man, now identified as Johnson Wen, was caught on viral video running toward her costar Ariana Grande. Grande's castmates, most prominently Erivo, quickly huddled around her and shooed the man off.
Wen was later arrested and charged in court for being a public nuisance, NBC News and the BBC report. Describing himself as a "troll" in his Instagram bio, Wen's social media shows him rushing the stage at various concerts, including a Katy Perry and a Chainsmokers show, before being hauled off by security.
On Monday, Nov. 17, Wen was sentenced to nine days in jail for the incident, the BBC reports. While under local law he could have been sentenced to up the three months, prosecutors asked for a weeklong sentence, according to the outlet. The trial also revealed that after Erivo pushed Wen off of Grande, he attempted to jump the barricades again, but was pinned down by security, according to BBC, citing local outlets.
He posted a video of the "Wicked" carpet incident, captioning it: "Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You ." The moment quickly went viral as fans criticized Wen's behavior and applauded Erivo, who sprang into action.
Erivo, who plays wicked witch Elphaba in the film, helped pull the man away from her costar before security intervened, as seen in videos showing multiple angles of the moment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man who grabbed Ariana Grande on 'Wicked' red carpet jailed, Cynthia Erivo speaks out
Reporting by Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

USA TODAY National
New York Post
Boston Herald
Cover Media
AlterNet
Daily Voice
The Daily Beast
People Top Story