From Elton John to Brad Pitt: a list of stars prohibited from entering various countries worldwide
Sometimes, even stardom and the sympathy of millions of listeners to your songs or viewers of movies starring you cannot influence a country's policy on the entry of certain people.
Indeed, there are many examples of countries banning celebrity travelers from crossing the border. For instance, after being sentenced to community service for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, Chris Brown was denied a visa to enter the UK on the grounds that he was "guilty of a serious criminal offense," as reported by BristolLive.
Brown wanted to tour the UK for the European leg of his 2010 concerts, but it was postponed. The Home Office then issued an official statement saying: "We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense. Public safety is one of our primary concerns."
Dwayne Lee "The Dog" Chapman, an American bounty hunter and reality TV star, was scheduled to appear on the 2012 season of Celebrity Big Brother but was denied entry to the UK due to his involvement in a historic murder. In 1976, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to five years in a Texas prison.
People like Justin Bieber are banned from performing in China on the grounds of "bad behavior." In a statement from the Beijing Culture Bureau, a spokesperson said: "In order to maintain order in the Chinese market and clean up the environment of Chinese performances, it is unacceptable to attract artists with bad behavior."