A little over eight years ago, Ariana Grande was swarmed by security and rushed from Manchester Arena after a terrorist bombing left 22 dead and over 1,000 injured.
Many of the victims, who had come to see Grande sing, were children. Grande herself sank into a deep depression that left her feeling her life needed to be ‘saved’.
Now, she is back there again, with an impeccably placed source telling the Daily Mail that Grande, 32, has been triggered and her PTSD is back after she was ambushed by a crazed man while walking the red carpet on Thursday.
At the Singapore premiere of her new movie Wicked: For Good, Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo and an army of bodyguards were forced to step in as the man jumped a barrier and grabbed hold of the diminutive singer-turned-actress.
Of course, this was no Manchester 2.0. Thankfully, no one was injured. But what makes the incident all the more sickening is that this was not just an overexcited fan.
Instead, as a Daily Mail investigation has confirmed, this was a coordinated and planned attack on Grande by a repeat offender who has targeted multiple celebrities in the past, including singers Katy Perry and the Weeknd.
Johnson Wen, who goes by the creepy pseudonym ‘Pyjama Man’ and proudly boasts on Instagram that he is the ‘troll most hated’, posted a string of pictures and videos before and after his attack on Grande.
In one particularly unhinged clip, he laughs maniacally as he describes his plan to ‘meet’ his ‘best friend’ Grande, adding that he has been ‘dreaming about’ the moment.
Insiders say Grande, 32, has been triggered and her PTSD is back after she was ambushed by a crazed man while walking the red carpet on Thursday
A Daily Mail investigation has confirmed that this was a coordinated and planned attack on Grande by a repeat offender who has targeted multiple celebrities in the past, including singers Katy Perry and the Weeknd
Penned in Wen’s Instagram bio is also the assertion that ‘Ariana Grande is the Queen’. It is not clear when this message was added – but it is all the more unsettling considering the events of Thursday.
Our insider said that the ambush has created renewed concerns about the already heavy security presence around Grande, which became necessary after the Manchester attack, as ‘she has never been the same since.’
It is understood that Grande’s security will now be ramped up even further, with some eyebrows having been raised over the fact Cynthia Erivo – herself a vulnerable celebrity – was the first to jump to Grande’s defense before bodyguards were able to reach her.
Wen, who was apparently freed after being pinned down and dragged off by security, shamelessly celebrated his attack with a Instagram post, captioned: ‘Dear Ariana Grande Thank You for letting me Jump on the Yellow Carpet with You.’
In another deeply disturbing video, Wen frantically laughed and gloated: ‘Finally, I dreamed about meeting Ariana Grande and finally my dreams became true.’
His social media page commemorates his other celebrity attacks, which he boats about to his rather pathetic following of 9,000. His other victims include Katy Perry, the Weeknd and The Chainsmokers, with video showing Wen forcing his way on stage to grab hold of the stars during concerts.
‘Ariana has been trying to soothe herself because her mind automatically jumps to the darkest possibilities,’ our insider said.
‘When someone suddenly approaches or charges at her, it triggers her… almost like PTSD, as her mind immediately goes to the worst-case scenario.’
Johnson Wen (pictured ambushing Katy Perry) goes by the creepy pseudonym ‘Pyjama Man’ and proudly boasts on Instagram that is he the ‘troll most hated’
Following the horrific Manchester bombing in May 2017, Grande ‘wanted to quit everything and become a hermit’, our insider said, adding that ‘she still has panic attacks.’
Grande has previously spoken about struggling with PTSD following the tragic concert, telling British Vogue in 2018: ‘It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss … I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.’
Our insider explained that while Grande ‘never wants to take the focus away from everyone who died in Manchester, she was a victim too, and deals with the aftermath of it every single day.’
Grande feels that ‘if someone was willing to attack an entire arena she was in, then they’re capable of doing anything.’
According to a second source close to the star, Grande ‘tries to avoid being in predicaments where she feels threatened or in harm’s way, because it is not good for her mental health to swim in those waters.’
Now, as Grande and her team look to enhance security as her promotional tour for the Wicked sequel ramps up, she is ‘taking the precautions needed… because the quicker she can put this in the back of her mind, the better.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Grande for comment.
