Kanye West could join list of celebrities refused entry to Australia
Kanye’s plans to visit his new wife’s family in Australia could be on the rocks, but he’s not the first celeb to face hurdles arriving down under.
Entertainment
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Kanye West appears likely to face a battle over his imminent visit down under to meet his new wife’s family, with calls for him to be denied a visa on the basis of anti-Semitic comments.
But he’s not the first controversial celebrity to have their Australian plans scuppered.
Over the years, there have been calls to ban multiple celebrities, with varying success.
Notably, a push to ban Eminem over his sexist and violent rap lyrics were squashed.
Here is a list of celebrities who were barred from entry from Australia.
Novak Djokovic
Tennis superstar Djokovic was slammed with a three-year ban from the country for issues surrounding his Covid vaccine, or lack of one ahead of the 2021 Australian Open.
This was later revoked in accordance with more lenient Covid restrictions which allowed Djokovic to play in this year’s Australian Open.
Tyler the Creator
Rapper Tyler the Creator cancelled his 2015 tour in Australia after feminist group Collective Shout created a petition to ban him from the country due to outrage over his behaviour at previous shows and lyrics in his music about rape and violence.
This ban did not last forever, with the rapper performing several shows down under, and even appearing at Splendour in the Grass in 2021.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown was denied a visa in 2016 after he was convicted of assault in the United States following his attack on former girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.
The rapper was banned from entering Australia after his visa was cancelled on character grounds, owing to his criminal conviction and his history of domestic violence.
Snoop Dogg
This rapper’s 2007 ban was also for previous criminal offences involving drugs and firearms in the United States.
Like Brown, Snoop Dogg was denied a visa based on character grounds, but the decision was later reversed. He has subsequently visited Australia numerous times.
He will visit Australia early this year for his I Wanna Thank Me tour and will be performing across the country after the Australian government granted him a visa allowing his five-city tour to go ahead.
Joe Cocker
In 1972 Joe Cocker was arrested in Adelaide for possession of marijuana.
The British singer, along with other members of his tour, was given 48 hours to leave the country and was deported after pleading guilty to the drug charges.
He later toured the country 11 more times after the deportation boosted his popularity in Australia.
Chelsea Manning
The activist and former US soldier was banned from entering Australia in 2018 before her speaking tour.
Manning was denied a visa based on character grounds due to her criminal record for sending classified military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeaks.
She has never returned to Australia.
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr was refused a visa in 2015 as a result of his criminal record, which includes domestic violence and assault convictions.
This prevented him from appearing at dinners in Sydney and Melbourne.
Mayweather has not been down under since.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson was denied entry to Australia in 2001 after spending time in jail for sex crimes.
Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and spent six years in prison.
He was later approved for a visa in 2012 ahead of a national speaking tour.
Milo Yiannopoulos
Far-right political commentator Yiannopoulos was banned after comments he made following the Christchurch terror attacks.
Yiannopoulos’s 2017 tour of the country was highly controversial, with protests in Melbourne outside his speaking event resulting in violence between his supporters and protesters.
His visa was revoked ahead of his 2019 tour of Australia. Yiannopoulos has not been back since.
Gavin McInnes
Leader of violent far-right group ‘Proud Boys’, Gavin McInnes was denied an Australian visa in 2018.
McInnes failed to pass the character test to enter the country due to his extremist views and promotion of violence.
This led to the cancellation of his 2019 speaking tour around the country.
McInnes has not been back to Australia since.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
There was a time when Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s pooches were the ones making headlines.
Both actors just barely escaped a ban from Australia in 2015 for smuggling Pistol and Boo into the country.
Heard was charged with two counts of illegally importing dogs and one count of producing a false document after she failed to declare the dogs on immigration papers when entering the Gold Coast.
The charges were later dropped and no ban was issued after the couple made a grovelling apology.
Skepta
UK grime rapper Skepta’s visa application was rejected on character grounds in 2018 based on his criminal history.
This was after a 2016 incident at a Melbourne nightclub in which Skepta pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury and a 2009 common assault charge in London.
This was later overturned allowing him to tour the country in the same year.
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