14 Times Celebs Got Banned From Countries
Fame might open doors around the world, but it can also slam them shut just as quickly. While most of us worry about forgetting our passport or overstaying a tourist visa, celebrities face an entirely different set of travel challenges.
From controversial films to airport scuffles, these famous faces have managed to get themselves permanently banned from entire nations. The reasons behind these celebrity travel bans range from the deeply political to the downright bizarre.
Some stars crossed cultural lines they didn’t even know existed, while others found their past legal troubles following them across international borders. Here is a list of 14 times celebrities got banned from countries, proving that even A-list status can’t guarantee you’ll make it through customs.
Justin Bieber
The pop star found himself banned from China in 2017 after years of questionable behavior. When a fan asked Beijing’s Culture Bureau why Justin had no tour dates in China, officials responded that he wasn’t suitable to perform in front of Chinese audiences.
They stated: ‘Justin Bieber is a gifted singer. But in order to maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment, it is not suitable to bring in badly behaved entertainers’.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt joins a long list of Hollywood stars who’ve faced pushback from China’s government due to his 1997 film, Seven Years In Tibet, which infuriated officials because of its portrayal of China and its positive representation of the Dalai Lama. The movie depicted Chinese military operations in Tibet during the 1950s, and let’s just say Beijing wasn’t thrilled with how they came across on screen.
As a result, they’ve decided that Brad’s charm and good looks are better appreciated from afar rather than on their own turf.
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Katy Perry
The singer has reportedly been banned indefinitely from China, which prevented her from performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai. Her ban apparently comes from an incident when she wore the Taiwanese flag during her concert at Taipei Arena, and over a sunflower dress she wore during her Prism tour (the sunflower is the symbol of the Sunflower Student Movement, which protested a Chinese trade agreement in 2014).
The Chinese government revoked her visa only days before she was set to appear at the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown was forced to postpone his UK tour in 2010 after being denied a visa to enter the country, after he was sentenced to a community service order for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in February 2009. The Home Office released a statement at the time, stating: ‘We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offence’.
Australia also banned him for the same reason, proving that some actions have consequences that follow you around the globe.
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart was denied entry to the UK by the Home Office, after serving five months in prison in 2004 for being found guilty of lying to investigators about whether she and her stockbroker had been involved in insider trading. The lifestyle guru was planning to visit Britain for business engagements, but British newspapers reported that she was denied permission to enter because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.
It turns out even being America’s favorite homemaker can’t override immigration policies.
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Tyler, The Creator
Tyler was banned from the UK for three to five years in 2015 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May, based on lyrics from his 2009 and 2011 albums that officials claimed supported homophobia and acts of terrorism. The rapper was scheduled to perform at Reading & Leeds Festivals when border control had other ideas.
He’s also been banned from Australia and New Zealand for lyrics promoting violence and rape culture. The irony?
His 2019 album Igor chronicled Tyler’s love affair with a man, which arrived just four years after his ban for ‘supporting homophobia’.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop was banned from the UK in 2006 after an altercation at Heathrow Airport, where a duty-free store was vandalized, though he was allowed back into the country in 2010. In 2012, Norway placed a two-year ban on Snoop after he tried entering the Nordic country with 8 grams of weed.
He has also been banned from Australia because of his ‘string of convictions’ and overstaying a previous visa. The rapper certainly knows how to make an impression at international airports.
Mike Tyson
Although one of the most celebrated boxers of all time, Mike Tyson’s professional career has been fraught with controversy. His 1992 conviction for the rape of Desiree Washington resulted in several countries reportedly denying him entry, including New Zealand in 2012 and Australia in 2001, and the UK in 2013.
The travel ban prevented the former athlete from attending promotional appearances for his autobiography, Undisputed Truth.
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Martin Scorsese
Similar to Pitt, Scorsese was also reportedly banned from China for upsetting officials over the portrayal of the 14th Dalai Lama in Disney’s Kundun. Scorsese, along with several other members of the cast and crew, were barred from entering the country, while Disney CEO Michael Eisner reportedly had to do damage control as the company’s relationship with China became fractured.
The legendary director discovered that even Oscar-winning filmmakers aren’t immune to political backlash.
Miley Cyrus
Miley was banned from China in 2009, after she posted a picture of herself in which her eyes appeared slanted. ‘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,’ Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi explained. China isn’t the only country she’s had issues with, as the Dominican Republic also denied her permits to bring her Bangerz tour to the country in 2014, with government officials citing ‘acts that go against morals and customs’.
Paris Hilton
In 2010, Paris Hilton was on pace to promote a new fashion and fragrance line in Japan, though the country turned her away. The socialite’s previous guilty plea on two misdemeanor charges of cocaine possession resulted in one year of probation as part of her deal.
As reported by The Guardian, Japan has strict immigration policies and often refuses entry to those found guilty of drug-related offenses. She faced six hours of questioning before being sent back on a private plane.
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Akon
Akon was banned from visiting Sri Lanka after the music video release of David Guetta’s ‘Sexy Chick,’ which featured the Konvict Muzik artist on vocals. Akon had a visa request denied in 2010 because Sri Lanka and some of its citizens found the Buddha statue in the background of the music video’s salacious pool party to be offensive.
Four people were injured during violent protests, and Akon released a sober apology for the whole ordeal. It wasn’t even his music video, but guilt by association proved costly.
The 1975 (Matty Healy)
The 1975 frontman Matty Healy and the rest of the band were recently banned from Malaysia after breaking the country’s laws surrounding homosexuality. During a music festival in Kuala Lumpur, Matty shared a kiss with bandmate Ross MacDonald before speaking out against the government’s anti-LGBTQIA+ laws.
The three-day Good Vibes music festival was canceled after the lead singer’s expletive-laden speech during the band’s headline performance. The band’s stance on human rights cost them access to an entire nation.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford has been quite vocal in expressing his support for Tibet, eventually leading to the Chinese government prohibiting him from entering the country. The Han Solo actor discovered that taking political stands can have real-world consequences when it comes to international travel.
China has made it clear that supporting the Dalai Lama or Tibetan independence is a sure way to earn yourself a permanent spot on their no-entry list.
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When Fame Meets Foreign Policy
These celebrity travel bans reveal something fascinating about the intersection of entertainment and international relations. What might seem like harmless artistic expression in one country can be viewed as a serious cultural offense in another.
Some of these celebrities, like Paris Hilton, have been turned away from certain borders due to prior court convictions, while others, such as Katy Perry, have been accused of offending specific cultures and their practices. Whether it’s a decades-old conviction following you across borders or a single social media post sparking international incidents, these stories prove that fame comes with a unique set of travel complications that most of us will never have to worry about.
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