Most celebs see traveling as a part and parcel of their life in the limelight. Their work takes them to different countries and probably don’t think much of it. But there have been enough incidents to prove that obtaining a visa to travel to another country shouldn’t be taken for granted. Government officials are careful in granting access into their country and someone’s net worth or Instagram following doesn’t change their decision! Many celebrities have been banned from entering or promoting their content in different countries. While some had insulted the country in some way, others voiced their opinion in a way the country didn’t approve. Here’s why these celebrities got themselves banned from foreign countries.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin was a guest at The Letterman Show in 2009 while he was single. He jokingly told the host that he was “thinking about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point… or a Russian one.” Needless to say that this seemingly harmless joke angered Philippines where he was then banned from entering. The Philippines Immigration Commissioner, Marcelino Libanan, said, “By being in the bureau’s blacklist, Baldwin is forbidden from entering the country as he is deemed an undesirable alien.” Baldwin’s apologies made no difference to the decision.
Justin Bieber
Bieber fans span across the globe and Argentina was no different but still the singer cancelled his tour in the country and told his fans that his Purpose tour had no scheduled dates. What Justin did not reveal was that he had got into trouble with the authorities for disrespecting Argentina’s flag. In addition to this, he was also involved in an altercation with a photographer. These two reasons were enough for the country to ban his entry.
Miley Cyrus
Back in 2009 Miley had posted a picture of herself in what looked like slanted eyes and it did not sit well with China which banned her from entering the country. Chinese foreign minister had said, “Miss Cyrus has made it clear she is no friend of China or anyone of East Asian descent. We have no interest in further polluting our children’s minds with her American ignorance.” She got banned from the Dominican Republic in 2014 because the country didn’t approve of the acts she indulged in on-camera.
The Beatles
One of the most recognized talents in the world, The Beatles were not immune to controversy. Before Jay Z, Miley Cyrus and 50 Cent got themselves banned from foreign countries, this music group had already experienced what a ban tasted like. They may have placed the entire blame of being banned from Philippines to misunderstanding but another reason existed. The group had declined an invitation to have breakfast with the First Lady of Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Afterwards, they had a tough time boarding their plane as they were mobbed on the way!
Jay Z
A big name in the music industry can get you to places but on the flip side, it can get you banned from places as well! This is what happened with the celebrated rapper, Jay-Z. Back in 2006, Jay-Z’s lyrics had a connection with China and were seen as negative. The same year, a concert of the celebrity scheduled in Shanghai was also cancelled.
Snoop Dogg
Back in 2012, Snoop Dogg was traveling to Norway to attend a music festival and got himself banned from the country for 2 years. He had two reasons to be held, one was that he was carrying more cash than was permitted. The second reason was a bit more serious. The rapper was in possession of an illegal substance that forced the officials to ban him from the country. Snoop Dogg on the other hand was okay with this ban and did not appeal against it!
Elton John
2010 marked the year Elton John got into trouble with Egypt. In an interview to Parade Magazine, John had said, “I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East – you’re as good as dead.” Not something that would sit well with the Middle East and unsurprisingly, Elton John was banned from Egypt. The head of Egypt’s Musician Union replied that he wouldn’t allow a queer man who calls for LQBTQ rights to perform in his country.
Chris Brown
Controversy is best friends with Chris Brown! The R ‘n’ B singer has faced bans from various countries but it was Australia’s decision to ban his from entering the country that made headlines. The reason for the ban was Brown’s history of domestic violence. What caught media’s attention was Brown’s reply to the Australian authorities. He was more than ready to spread awareness in the country about domestic violence!
Lindsay Lohan
Being the golden girl in Hollywood does not secure your position in a country when you violate their visa rules. Lindsay Lohan claimed of saving kids from sweatshops in India by making a documentary with BBC. That may be a noble deed but Lohan did not have a work permit to shoot the documentary, meaning she misused her tourist visa. That did not go down well with the officials and the star was banned from India.
Gigi Hadid
The Victoria’s Secret model was all set to walk the ramp in Shanghai in 2017 but was denied visa. Gigi was very disappointed with her inability to attend the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that year because she had been banned from China. The reason behind the ban was that Gigi was seen in a video narrowing eyes and copying the shape of a Buddha cookie that she held up to the camera. Gigi learned her lesson but it was too late.
Selena Gomez
The “Kill em with kindness” singer couldn’t get through with her kindness in Russia. She was banned in the country back in 2013 because she was expected to speak against the anti-gay laws laid down by the Russian government. Not only this, Selena managed to get herself banned from China because she had taken pictures with the Tibetan leader, Dalai Lama. She had taken the pictures earlier and posted them online but years later the pics resurfaced and Gomez had to cancel her Revival tour in the country!
Beyoncé
Even if you are Queen Bey you can’t save yourself from getting banned in Malaysia if you are not dressed appropriately for the country. Beyoncé had to cancel her concert in Malaysia after her outfits were deemed inappropriate. Though she was given a choice to wear something more conservative, she went on to cancel her show because she wasn’t even allowed to dance.
Sacha Baron Cohen
The slapstick comedy movie “Borat” got Sacha Baron Cohen a lot of fame. While the world praised the comedy, the government of Kazakhstan was not pleased. The reason being the way the movie portrayed the character of the Kazakh ruler in the movie. Baron later pleaded the authorities to lift the ban as the movie was just a fictional satire. Thankfully Kazakhstan government did see the funny side and lifted the ban eventually. Nice of them to take a joke.
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton has had her own fair share of troubles with the law. Back in 2010 she was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of illegal substances. This did not sit well with Japan and Hilton was banned from the country. She was all set to tour Japan for the promotion of her fragrance and fashion line but when she landed at Tokyo airport in her private jet, she was denied entry and after 6 hours of chatting with the officials, she was sent back.
50 Cent
One has to do something really offensive to be banned from the lenient country of Canada. But 50 Cent had invited the ban in 2005 with his music that promoted gun violence. Canadian Foreign Minister said, “There are indeed limits and restrictions on freedom of expression. Particularly if they incite hate or if they are the kind of activity that is killing our youths right now across Toronto.”
Katy Perry
Back in 2017, Katy Perry had applied for visa but China denied it and imposed a ban on her. This sudden ban made headlines but the reason behind the ban was more interesting than the ban itself. The reason emerged out of a picture of Katy from 2015 where she is seen wearing a bright yellow sunflower dress. The issue was that sunflower was the flower used by anti-China protesters!
Tyler, The Creator
Being “The Creator” of some raunchy songs led to Tyler getting banned from the UK. The lyrics of his songs have had questionable words for a while and that did not go well with UK. His abhorrent language was not liked and a ban was imposed on him in 2015. A UK spokesperson wrote, “Coming to the UK is a privilege, and we expect those who come here to respect our shared values.”
Martha Stewart
A fantastic baker and a brainy businesswoman, Martha Stewart is no less of a celebrity but she is not so perfect. Martha has had some troubles with the law in the past which does not reflect very well on the homely baker! She was denied entry into the UK due to her charges in the US for lying about selling stocks. She even had to serve jail time for 5 months and a further home detention for another 5 months. UK denied her visa in 2008 stating that it opposed entry of previously convicted persons.
Lady Gaga
With racy outfits and crazy antics, Lady gaga was not welcomed in Indonesia as her conduct was deemed inappropriate. She was given a choice to tone down her act for her tour in the country but instead she cancelled the whole thing citing her security! Gaga also faced the anger of China when she met up with Dalai Lama and got herself banned from China. Her fans supported her in this and said that this woman had some guts to go against Beijing.
Akon
A David Guetta video that showed a lot of scantily clad women dancing in a pool angered Buddhists in Sri Lanka because there was a Buddha statue in the background. The statue was out of focus and Akon said he did not even know it was there. But the government of Sri Lanka denied entry to Akon because a religious uproar in the country had resulted in the injury of 4 people.
