It took Lady Gaga’s Australian fans just a few seconds to recognise him — and security only a little longer to show him the door.
Johnson Wen, the 26-year-old Australian better known online as “Pyjama Man”, was kicked out of Gaga’s Mayhem Ball show at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on 9 December, less than a month after he grabbed Ariana Grande on the red carpet at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore.
Spotted in disguise – and swiftly escorted out
Wen reportedly turned up in the VIP early-entry queue, attempting to blend in by wearing a wig and fake moustache. But videos posted to Instagram and TikTok show fans pointing him out to security and shouting that he was the man who “tackled Ariana.”
Venue guards moved in before the concert began, escorting Wen up the stadium steps and out of Suncorp as some Little Monsters booed. Several fans said security appeared to have printouts of Wen’s face, suggesting staff had been briefed to look out for him.
On social media, Wen later posted a selfie and wrote that he was “kicked out of the Lady Gaga concert” before the show started and that early-entry fans had booed him.
Lady Gaga’s team and stadium officials have not publicly commented on the incident, which did not disrupt the performance itself.
From red carpet to courtroom: the Ariana Grande incident
Wen’s newfound notoriety began on 13 November in Singapore, when he jumped a barricade at the Asia premiere of Wicked: For Good and rushed toward Ariana Grande on the green carpet. Co-star Cynthia Erivo quickly intervened, and security pulled him away as cameras rolled.
He was arrested, pleaded guilty to public nuisance, served nine days in jail, and was deported and banned from returning to Singapore.
The Singapore incident sparked global criticism of Wen’s behaviour and renewed conversations about celebrity safety, especially in the wake of Grande’s own history with trauma after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. While she has not commented directly on Wen, Grande has often spoken about living with PTSD from that attack.
A pattern of ‘event crashing’ for clout
The Gaga show ejection is the latest in a long list of stunts. Wen, who brands himself as a kind of chaos-seeking influencer, has:
- Interrupted concerts by Katy Perry in Sydney and The Weeknd in Melbourne
- Turned up uninvited at major sporting events, including matches at the Women’s World Cup and the Paris Olympics
- Racked up an estimated A$20,000 in fines linked to his antics, according to Australian media reports
Videos of his disruptions are routinely shared on his social channels, where he leans into the “Pyjama Man” persona and frames the incidents as content rather than crimes.
Critics say this is textbook clout-chasing: provoke a dramatic moment, get removed by security, then harvest the clicks.
Security on high alert as Mayhem Ball tour continues
The Brisbane concert was already under scrutiny for crowd-management issues — fans complained of long queues and late gate openings, with some people still outside as the show started.
Against that backdrop, security’s quick response to Wen drew praise online from many Gaga fans, who argued that artists and audiences shouldn’t have to worry about serial disruptors turning up for a viral moment.
With Gaga’s Sydney dates approaching, Australian outlets report that security is expected to be even tighter, and that Wen may try to attend more shows despite the backlash.
Wider questions: fandom, boundaries and safety
The saga has touched a nerve in pop culture circles. On Reddit and X, fans debated where the line lies between enthusiastic fandom and dangerous intrusion. Some argued that Wen’s repeated stunts show how social-media fame can incentivise increasingly risky behaviour at the expense of basic safety and consent.
For performers like Grande and Gaga, the incident underscores a growing challenge: maintaining a close, intimate connection with fans while staying physically safe in an era where one person with a phone can turn a red carpet or concert into a stage for themselves.
In Brisbane, at least, that stage time was cut short. The man who grabbed Ariana Grande got his latest headline — but this time, it was from the wrong side of the security barrier.
