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Amy Robach
This is an iHeart podcast.
Kal Penn
Hey audiobook lovers, I'm Kalpen, I'm Ed Helms. Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from audible.
Kal Penn
Listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening listening on the free iHeartradio app today.
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To learn more face after weightloss.com that's face after weightloss.com I turned off news altogether.
T.J. Holmes
I hate to say it, but I.
Kal Penn
Don'T trust much of anything.
T.J. Holmes
It's the rage bait.
Cindy Crawford (Meaningful Beauty Advertiser)
It feels like it's trying to divide people.
T.J. Holmes
We got clear facts.
Kal Penn
Maybe we could calm down a little.
Ed Helms
NBC News brings you clear reporting.
Kal Penn
Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America.
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T.J. Holmes
Hey there, folks. It is Monday, November 17, and the man who jumped the barricade and rushed Ariana Grande and her movie star co stars. Well, he has now been sentenced to nine days in jail. Question is, is that enough with that? Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Ropes. This was a scary scene. Nobody got hurt and by all accounts, he didn't mean anybody harm. But this video went everywhere and this was terrifying.
Amy Robach
It was. Especially in this day and age, you don't know what somebody has in their hands. You don't know if it's meant to just be a prank on social media or if someone means you harm. And clearly, when you watch this video and Ariana Grande's face tells you everything you need to know. She is scared to death and she has reason to be scared. She has lived through one of the worst terror attacks I think any artist can imagine having lived through at her concert in Manchester Several years ago, 2017, 22 people died with a terror attack at her concert. She lives with that. She probably, I mean, she's spoken about her PTSD from that. So can you imagine now already being afraid of being out in public and having this happen to you on the red carpet?
T.J. Holmes
So obviously this was not a consideration of this young man. And I say young man, he is 26 years old. He did go to, and he did have a mini trial, if you will. He showed up in court and he did plead guilty to being a public nuisance, essentially, and he was sentenced to nine days in jail. Now, the young man did tell the judge, according to reports there, that he wouldn't do this again. Judging on his history, it doesn't seem like robes. That would be the case because he has. As terrifying as this moment we described might have been for Ariana Grande, what we're talking about here is a young man who thinks this is fun, funny and has made a sport and a social media following from quite literally rushing celebrities in unsuspecting moments. They're expecting to be safe on stage on a red carpet. And he's rushed the stage or the red carpet on several occasions and then.
Amy Robach
Gleefully posts it online. In fact, you can see him at the end of this video clapping and celebrating that he was able to get actually to touch Ariana Grande. He is celebrating what he just did and clearly then posted online to then hopefully get hearts and likes and comments. But actually the comments I was reading several people are extremely upset with him after this one.
T.J. Holmes
This is moronic. And it's. I don't know how to be supportive. Right. I'm always, you know, me robes. I want to hear both sides. I want to hear from someone else. I just don't imagine where this could ever be something anyone could explain or anyone in the wider population could endorse what he's doing. His name, I'll give his name. I won't give his Instagram handles. But his name is John Johnson. Excuse me, Johnson win. He's 26 year old Australian and he does operate this Instagram handle. And where we have seen at least Katy Perry, he has posted the Weeknd chain smokers. He has gotten on their stages robes during these concerts. I am a little surprised at some of the reactions of security. I wonder what they are legally able to do. But in the case of the red carpet, this one was in Singapore. This was last Thursday premiere of Wicked for Good, the second installment of the Wicked movies that are coming out. I was shocked at how kid glovey they were with him.
Amy Robach
Yeah. It's almost because he wasn't some big, imposing, scary person that they almost treated it like a silly childlike prank.
T.J. Holmes
A fan kid. Okay.
Amy Robach
He doesn't appear to be menacing. He doesn't have. He's not large in stature. And so yes, they might have reacted in a way to his physical presence which isn't that intimidating.
T.J. Holmes
And you and I talked about this once. We saw the video from what he did in Singapore with Ariana Grande and her co stars. When I go back and we saw the videos of him jumping on stage with Katy Perry. The Weeknd. The Weeknd especially the security there was the same. I was surprised look, we've seen like football games and whatnot. There is a streak or somebody runs out. We've seen security dump the like give those guys a good jolt. This guy gets none of that.
Amy Robach
It's bizarre to me. Look, the only thing that maybe we can even imagine what it is like or what it perhaps should be like with security. When you and I were at Good Morning America, we would often go out in the commercial breaks and greet the crowd. Our security guys were right next to us and were always helpful in making sure nobody got too close or jumped over the barricade. In fact, I never had a scary moment once. And we were out there quite a bit. And you're in the middle of Times Square so anything can happen. And there are plenty of people out there who have been up all Night and on whatever, who knows what. So maybe our guys were laser focused and not. And not just guys, gals. We had Annie as well, but they. I was always so impressed. I always felt safe going out there, knowing anything could happen.
T.J. Holmes
You make. Okay, now I. Not that I didn't think about what you're saying, but now it seems even more egregious what I'm saying. And I'm desperate not to criticize security. I don't know what they go through and what their rules are. I mean, for the most part, Ariana Grande and cast Wicked 2 is coming out. You assume most are teenagers, young adults, or you don't assume anybody's there to do harm. Is that in the back of their minds when this happens? I don't know. But still, Cynthia Erivo should not be the primary defender of Ariana Grande.
Amy Robach
Absolutely not.
T.J. Holmes
This guy ran from a distance. You had time to see him coming.
Amy Robach
Yes.
T.J. Holmes
Did you not?
Amy Robach
Without a doubt.
T.J. Holmes
And it still took a beat. It took a moment before Cynthia Erivo was no longer the primary defender of Ariana Grande. We applaud Cynthia. We're not criticizing her. I've just. It feels so bizarre and uncomfortable. And my question here is, sweetheart, what level of response is okay from a security guard in this situation? If you would have seen, I mean, deadly force? How can you bloody him? Can you just restrain him? What are they allowed to do? Because I argue it was not enough.
Amy Robach
Exactly. So I would. First of all, I would say the job of security is to anticipate this sort of thing and stop it before there's contact, period. That clearly did not happen. And thank God it was a prank. Thank God it was a joke and for fun. If he had had any weapon in his hand, this would be a very different podcast that we'd be having right now.
T.J. Holmes
It was a successful attack. If he wanted to do harm to any star of that movie, if he had, God forbid, if he had a gun, he had a knife, he would have 100% been able to.
Amy Robach
And like you said, there was a Runway, like he had to run. There was time for them. They were not looking in that direction. There was three or four of them in the background and they were all looking to the side. Nobody was looking ahead. Obviously that's a clear problem that they're going to have to fix up. And my God, I hope they're having a post mortem Monday morning quarterbacking session where if I'm Ariana Grande, I'm having serious talks. Because also someone who's also been involved in One of the largest terror attacks ever. You'd think there would even be more sensitivity to the fact that she is. Does have fear of public spaces. She does suffer from ptsd. With what she's been through that there'd be an extra eye or an extra level of concern or care. But in terms you asked what I think, I don't know what the legal response is or what you can or cannot do, but I would imagine if somebody is touching my client, who I am being paid to protect from being touched and harmed or in any way impeded, I think you could take that dude down to the ground, period. You don't know what his intentions are.
T.J. Holmes
You know, I'm getting it mixed up now because this guy. You know what? I think I got it right. He rushed this premiere twice. I think he was only caught. Do I have that right? He was only caught after the second incident, the one not involving Ariana Grande. So after he did this, he, some kind of way ended up still free running around and was only then detained after the second incident. Yeah.
Amy Robach
So I have the question. If you don't look menacing, if you look harmless, if you look innocent, if you look childlike, if you don't, do you then get a different level of once overs? And probably he wasn't considered or didn't appear to be a threat, and so therefore he wasn't regarded as one.
T.J. Holmes
This I am. Look, we saw this and it went viral and we talk about this. And I think a lot of folks, if you don't remember, and I think it's easy to possibly sometimes be dismissive if you're not. If you don't immediately remember what happened to this young lady and what happened to Ariana Grande was. I say what happened to her in that. There are plenty of people at that concert in Manchester who were traumatized by what happened. There were families that were forever changed. 22 people dead there. But she was the one that brought those people together. Like there was a responsibility, you know, she felt for that. And she, yes. Talked about all the therapy, all the things she's had to deal with, all the post. I mean, she's. She credits some people with saving her life and getting her in therapy. That young lady just suffered at the hands of somebody who wanted nothing but an Instagram post. That is disgusting. That part of it. And I know maybe he doesn't even realize what he did to her, but he did something to her that is egregious already, but given her history, it's. It's especially unkind.
Amy Robach
Yeah. And look, we've had the pleasure of meeting her and we love her brother Frankie, who's been amazing and just a huge friend of ours, but this is a sweet young woman. She really is. She's a sweet young woman. She doesn't deserve this. And I actually hated the caption he put on his video. It just was so tone deaf. Dear Ariana Grande, thank you for letting me jump on the yellow carpet with you. She did not let him. And that's patronizing. To thank her for something she would never have forgotten.
T.J. Holmes
Condoned, obviously. She. She didn't. Didn't know who this guy was at all. But for whatever reason, he thinks that is cheeky. It's cheeky. That's the way he's going about in his posts. And maybe he's giving the impression or trying to give the impression to potential followers that these artists did welcome him and did allow him to come up, but that's not the case. But he, for whatever reason, likes to say, thank you, Katy Perry, for allowing me. Thank you, chain smokers for a lot. And he thinks that's funny.
Amy Robach
Do I have this right? Is this the first time he's actually been arrested? Is this the first time he's actually been held accountable? Is this the first time he's actually suffered any consequence for what he did?
T.J. Holmes
Only one we've seen reported so far. Yes. What should that punishment be? Stay here, folks. We're going to try to answer that question. Nine days. Okay, fine, sure. But maybe you could argue nobody got hurt. It was a prank. It should be less. Or you could argue he just traumatized Ariana Grande all over again. Nine days ain't gonna cut it. Stay here.
Ed Helms
Hey, everyone.
Kal Penn
Ed Helms here and hi, I'm Kal Pen. We're the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the Iheart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?
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T.J. Holmes
I can see you as Mr. Darcy.
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Ed Helms
Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett here. Listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
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T.J. Holmes
All right folks, we continue now. Nine days is enough. Is that enough? Nine days robes for a quote unquote harmless prank. I say harmless in that no harm was done in that nobody was hurt, nobody was injured, there was nobody die, there was no attack, somebody just doing something silly. This guy jumps a barricade excitedly going towards the stars, movie stars, what's the big deal? Robe. So he gets nine days and a lot of people would look at that and we're pressured that he needs to get something. So nine days, how does that sit with you?
Amy Robach
I. So here's what I think. Given all that we know about him, his past, and certainly Ariana Grande's past, I think it should have been more. But I do appreciate the fact that at least he got something. I do think that if he suffers no consequences as he has up until this now, he's just going to, up until now he's going to just keep on doing this. He's not going to acknowledge, he's not going to be forced to acknowledge that there is harm in what he's doing and there is the potential for actual danger and violence to ensue because of what he's doing. Because you can catch somebody off guard, you can scare a star or a security guard or a star's costar into doing something violent. And this is, there is no place for this, there's no space for this, this isn't funny. And I do appreciate the judge, what the judge said to this young man. Judge Goh said that he wanted to send a signal not just to him, not just to Wen, but to like minded individuals that we will not condone any act that undermines the reputation of Singapore as a safe country. I appreciate the fact that that was top of his mind and he said you should be mindful that there are always consequences for one's actions.
T.J. Holmes
He traumatized this girl, I mean, when you stop. It didn't take us long to obviously remember, but maybe he didn't remember and maybe he wouldn't have cared. But that's horrific what he did to this young lady. And we could see it on her face, what happened. And again, Cynthia Erivo made this story. I, I guess this is another, you know, always looking for a silver lining. And I, we've said for the past few days, man, everybody, you should get you a friend, make sure you got a friend like Cynthia Orevo who did not hesitate to just react, to respond. And quite frankly, not knowing what was there, she was putting herself in danger, not knowing what was happening. So we do applaud that and look, applaud Singapore.
Amy Robach
Yeah.
T.J. Holmes
For what they did make an example. There's already reports out there, this kid has already said he plans to keep doing this no matter what does happen. I probably would believe that. We'll see if he gets charged with anything down the road. But I don't know the benefit, the upside, what it is, he doesn't have that many followers.
Amy Robach
He doesn't.
T.J. Holmes
And so it's not like this is a huge money making venture.
Amy Robach
I was surprised. I did and actually I was impressed. I loved this about Ariana Grande fans, I'm assuming people I'm sure have checked out his Instagram page. It doesn't take that long, it's not that hard to find it. But I was surprised at how few followers he had given the attention this has gotten, how few likes he's gotten on the post given the attention this has received. And that just speaks volumes to the fact that I get it, her followers, her fans, people who love her and don't like what he did, they know their best way of impacting him or having an impact in general is to ignore him, to not follow him, to not like. And even the people who did put comments, they were basically things like, shame on you, how dare you, this poor girl leave people alone. And if it's true that he is already acknowledged because he's in jail right now as we're recording this, still nine days, he's in the middle of his nine day sentence. But he sat there on this video conference call with this judge and said, I will not do this again, you know, your honor, this will be the last time. If he goes and does it again. I certainly hope, I certainly hope wherever he does it, wherever whatever country he's in, I hope they throw the book at him like, and I hope he never does again. I hope he's learned his lesson.
T.J. Holmes
What can you do? I think how big of a new. Whatever the charge is in the US what would it be? Right?
Amy Robach
Harassment, you could say attempted assault or assault even. I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure there are ways. There could be. There could be some sort of charge that would keep him behind bars longer. I would have been, it would have been so nice had we heard from him in that hearing, saying, I'm sorry, I deeply apologize for what I did.
T.J. Holmes
I get it. Is what neat. I would like to know that he gets what he did and who knows how this guy is built and even negative attention some people appreciate. Long as they're getting attention. I don't know who he is, how he's built and why he does this, but this is what he did to somebody. It went beyond a prank, a joke, or even scaring someone. This is traumatizing for this particular individual. This, that, that's tough. But applaud Singapore for what they did. We'll keep an eye on this and see. I guess you got, what, eight days left. We'll check back in a week and a half and see where he's shown up. But folks, as always, we appreciate you spending time, some. Some time here with us. T.J. holmes. On behalf of my dear Amy Robach, we'll talk to y' all soon.
Kal Penn
Hey, audiobook lovers. I'm Cal Penn.
Ed Helms
I'm Ed Helms.
Kal Penn
Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.
Ed Helms
Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and.
Kal Penn
Greatest audiobooks from audible, listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.
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But first.
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T.J. Holmes
Pretty complex.
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Amy Robach
Ford this is an iHeart podcast.
Episode Title: Jail Time For Man Who Rushed Ariana Grande, But Is 9 Days Enough?
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Hosts: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes tackle the recent incident in which a man, known for rushing celebrity events, jumped a barricade to approach Ariana Grande and her co-stars at a red carpet premiere in Singapore. The episode scrutinizes both the emotional impact on Grande, who has survived a prior terror attack, and the adequacy of the nine-day jail sentence given to the perpetrator. The hosts explore questions around celebrity safety, security responses, and the culture of online pranks for clout.
T.J. Holmes (03:07):
"This was a scary scene. Nobody got hurt and by all accounts, he didn't mean anybody harm. But... this was terrifying."
Amy Robach (03:39):
"She is scared to death and she has reason to be scared. She has lived through one of the worst terror attacks I think any artist can imagine... She probably, I mean, she's spoken about her PTSD from that."
T.J. Holmes (05:47):
"This is moronic... I just don't imagine where this could ever be something anyone could explain or anyone in the wider population could endorse what he's doing."
Amy Robach (07:45):
"Our security guys were right next to us and were always helpful in making sure nobody got too close or jumped over the barricade. In fact, I never had a scary moment once."
T.J. Holmes (09:13):
"My question here is, sweetheart, what level of response is okay from a security guard in this situation?... I argue it was not enough."
Amy Robach (20:05):
"Given all that we know about him, his past, and certainly Ariana Grande's past, I think it should have been more. But I do appreciate... at least he got something."
T.J. Holmes (12:10):
"That young lady just suffered at the hands of somebody who wanted nothing but an Instagram post. That is disgusting..."
Amy Robach:
"Thank God it was a prank. Thank God it was a joke and for fun. If he had had any weapon in his hand, this would be a very different podcast that we'd be having right now." (09:50)
T.J. Holmes:
“She credits some people with saving her life and getting her in therapy. That young lady just suffered at the hands of somebody who wanted nothing but an Instagram post. That is disgusting.” (12:10)
Amy Robach:
"She did not let him. And that's patronizing. To thank her for something she would never have condoned, obviously. She didn't know who this guy was at all." (13:21)
Amy Robach on Law and Punishment:
"I do appreciate the judge, what the judge said to this young man. Judge Goh said that he wanted to send a signal... that we will not condone any act that undermines the reputation of Singapore as a safe country." (20:05)
Robach and Holmes advocate for a cultural and legal rethink on how seemingly harmless pranks can be both traumatic for victims and dangerous for public safety. They emphasize the importance of meaningful consequences and support for traumatized figures like Ariana Grande, pose hard questions about security responsibility, and credit fans for not rewarding such negative behavior online. The episode closes still questioning if nine days in jail is enough, and calls for vigilance in protecting both the well-being of performers and public event security.