Cynthia Erivo recalls 'first instinct' to protect Ariana Grande in Singapore

Cynthia Erivo did not think twice when she saw someone rush toward and grab Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore last week.

Appearing on the Today show on Thursday, November 20, the actress — who portrays Elphaba — revealed that she was acting on pure instinct when the incident occurred.

“I was really thinking, I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe,” Erivo, 38, responded when asked about the altercation by Savana Guthrie.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but I just, you never know with those things and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. That was my first instinct,” she added.

The incident occurred as Erivo and Grande, 32, were walking the yellow brick road carpet for the film’s November 13 premiere in Singapore. A man, who later identified himself as Pyjama Man on Instagram (real name Johnson Wen), jumped the ropes and ran toward the popstar.

Springing into action even before the bodyguards, Erivo put herself between her co-star and the man, telling him repeatedly to “get off her!”

As their costars Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum watched in shock, bodyguards were eventually able to escort the man off the red carpet.

The attacker was soon arrested in Singapore and has been charged with being a public nuisance. He has been sentenced to nine days in jail, per The New York Times.