Many musicians and celebrities have serious sanctions imposed on them. The worst being a lifetime ban from entering the nations for misconduct or violating the country’s beliefs and morals. Several celebrities have received a lifetime travel ban while some received a few years of ban for different reasons. Here is the list of some of them.
Beyonce: Malaysia
The pop star was banned from the country for misconduct. Malaysia’s government viewed her dress and behaviour as immoral and promoting “Western sexy performances.”
Justin Bieber: China
Justin Bieber was banned from performing in China on account of his misbehaviour. Beijing’s Municipal Bureau of Culture said in a statement, “Justin Bieber is a gifted singer. But to maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment, it is not suitable to bring in badly behaved entertainers.”
Chris Brown: Australia
Chris Brown was accused of felony assault for hitting his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. The Australian Federal Government banned his entry into the country by reasoning a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence in the country.
Miley Cyrus: China and the Dominican Republic
The “Wrecking Ball” singer was banned in China for looking down upon in a stereotypical manner. The ex-Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said, “Miss Cyrus has made it apparent she is no friend of China or anybody of East Asian origin. We have no desire to further contaminate our children’s minds with her American military.” After the singer apologized for her misconduct, the ban was removed.
In 2014, Miley Cyrus was banned from the Dominican Republic as the government officials rejected her to do her music tour in their nation. They considered her “acts against morality and conventions, which are criminal under Dominican law.”
Lady Gaga: Indonesia and China
In 2012, Lady Gaga was banned in Indonesia as the Indonesian law enforcement refused her to perform in Jakarta and considered it immoral and obscenity. The singer was also barred from China in 2011 because of her out-of-the-box dress which the Chinese authority viewed as “vulgar”.
Jay Z: China
The rapper and husband of Beyonce was barred from performing in China in 2006, as his music has “too many profane lyrics.” The Ministry of Culture said in a statement that it was “decided to protect the city’s hip-hop fans from nasty lyrics about pimps, guns and drugs.”
Selena Gomez: Russia and China
Russian officials declined the singer’s visa in September 2016, forcing her to cancel two of her songs. The singer had plans to speak about the country’s anti-LGBT policies which the Russian authorities didn’t approve of. In addition, China also banned Gomez’s tour visa due to the images she took with the Dalai Lama two years before.
Snoop Dogg: Norway
In 2012, Snoop Dogg was banned from performing in Norway for two years. This is because the singer was stopped on his way to Norway’s Hove Festival for carrying eight grams of cannabis and excess cash, violating the legal limit.
Elton John: Egypt
Elton John was barred from performing his private concert in Egypt in 2010 because of his sexuality and his comments on gay rights.
Sunny Deol: Pakistan
The Indian actor starring in many powerful patriotic films was banned in Pakistan. Sunny Deol was banned in the country because of the harsh dialogues he spoke against Pakistan in film, resulting in him and his film being banned in Pakistan.
Harrison Ford: China
Harrison Ford has been banned from China since 2014 as he spoke out on the advocacy for Tibet.
Sacha Baron Cohen: Kazakhstan
The Borat actor was banned from Kazakhstan in 2006, though the ban was lifted due to the increased tourism the film brought.
Brad Pitt: China
The actor was banned in China for more than 15 years for his film “Seven Years in Tibet.” He was banned from the end of the 1990s and the ban was lifted in 2016
Akon: Sri Lanka
Singer Akon was banned from Sri Lanka after the release of the music video of his “Sexy Chick”, which features an exotic pool party in front of Buddha’s statue.
Lily Allen: United States
After being arrested in London for hitting a paparazzo, the singer’s US work visa was rejected in 2007.
Kesha: Malaysia
Kesha was banned from Malaysia in 2013 after the country’s authorities showed concern that her concert offends cultural and religious sensitivities.
The Beatles: Philippines
The Beatles were banned from the Philippines after they refused a breakfast invitation from the First Lady, Imelda Marco.
Paris Hilton: Japan
Paris Hilton was banned in Japan due to her drug violation in the US in 2010.
Martha Stewart: United Kingdom
In 2008, Martha Stewart’s visa to visit the United Kingdom was declined because of her criminal accusations in the United States.
Katy Perry: China
The singer was banned indefinitely from China, due to which she could not perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai in 2017. Katy Perry was banned because of an incident, in which the singer wore the Taiwanese flag at her concert in Taipei Arena and a sunflower dress she wore during her Prism tour (sunflower symbolizes the Sunflower Student Movement which was a protest against a Chinese trade agreement 14).
