It’s no secret that famous people do and say crazy things. While some celebrity behavior is laughed off, other times it leads to them being banned from entering certain countries. Here are 12 noteworthy folks who have been blacklisted from at least one country.
Justin Bieber (China)
Bieber’s past instances of “bad behavior” got him barred from China in July 2017. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture wrote, “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.” Oops, sorry, Biebs.
Lady Gaga (China)
Bieber isn’t the only singer to fall out of favor with the Chinese government. Lady Gaga was blacklisted in 2016 after meeting with the Dalai Lama. China reportedly purged Gaga’s music from streaming services and placed her on a list of hostile foreign forces.
Chris Brown (U.K., Australia)
This hip-hop star’s 2009 domestic violence conviction against then-girlfriend, Rihanna, got him banned from the U.K. in 2011 and from Australia in 2015. Today, Brown is reportedly still banned from both nations.
Martha Stewart (U.K.)
In 2008, the U.K. denied Stewart a visa after she faced four felony convictions related to insider trading of ImClone stocks.
Brad Pitt (China)
Tibet is a sensitive issue in China, and the government tends to condemn anyone who promotes sympathy toward the autonomous region or its leader, the Dalai Lama. Such was the case with Brad Pitt for his involvement in “Seven Years in Tibet.”
Martin Scorsese (China)
China really doesn’t mess around when it comes to Tibet. Because he directed “Kundun,” a film that gives a “sympathetic account” of the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, Martin Scorsese received a lifelong ban from the country.
Miley Cyrus (China)
Miley’s sin in China’s eyes wasn’t fraternizing with the Tibetan spiritual leader. In 2009, the “We Can’t Stop” singer shared a photo of herself and friends squinting their eyes in a mocking gesture toward people of East Asian descent. That’s not funny in any country.
Alec Baldwin (Philippines)
In 2009, the “SNL” staple joked with David Letterman about “getting a Filipino mail-order bride” after numerous failed relationships. With that comment, Baldwin also damaged his relationship with the Philippines. The country slapped him with a lifetime ban from entry.
Harrison Ford (China)
The “Star Wars” actor has been banned from China since the early 1990s. Ford has long been an advocate for Tibetan independence and has openly criticized the Chinese government for human rights violations in the region.
Beyoncé (Malaysia)
Even queens can be banned. Beyoncé postponed and eventually canceled a 2007 performance in Malaysia due to complaints from members of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party that her wardrobe and dance routine were too provocative.
Akon (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka banned Akon and David Guetta over the music video for their song, “Sexy Chick,” which caused violent protests in the nation’s capital. The majority-Buddhist nation didn’t like seeing scores of people drinking, partying and hooking up in front of a statue of the Buddha. Akon later apologized for the offense.
Tyler, the Creator (U.K.)
In 2015, then-home secretary Theresa May closed the U.K.’s doors to rapper Tyler, the Creator for the next three to five years over lyrics that the Home Office believed glamorized “violent physical abuse, rape and murder in graphic terms.”
