Celebrities banned from certain countries
- Brad Pitt
- Justin Bieber
- The 1975
- Lady Gaga
- Joe Biden, Morgan Freeman, and Mark Zuckerberg
- Chris Brown
- Selena Gomez
- The Beatles
- Tyler, The Creator
- Harrison Ford
- Jon Bon Jovi
- Alec Baldwin
- Miley Cyrus
- Katy Perry
- Martin Scorsese
- Sacha Baron Cohen
- Boy George
- Martha Stewart
- Mike Tyson
- Paris Hilton
- Russell Brand
- Snoop Dogg
- Elton John
- Lily Allen
- Christian Slater
- Busta Rhymes

Being famous comes with a lot of benefits, including opportunities to travel all around the world, but it also means that there's a higher level of scrutiny surrounding a celebrity's behavior or political stance—and some countries are not having it.
Click through this gallery to find out which other stars have been banned from traveling to certain countries!
Brad Pitt

Banned from: China.

Pitt was not allowed in China because of his movie 'Seven Years in Tibet.' The film depicts the 14th Dalai Lama in a positive way and shines a negative light on Communist military officers. But Pitt returned to the country in 2016.
Justin Bieber

Banned from: Argentina and China.

According to Time, Biebs allegedly assaulted a photographer in Argentina and disrespected the country's flag during a concert. He's also banned from China for being a "badly behaved entertainer."
The 1975

The three-day Good Vibes music festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been canceled after the lead singer Matty Healy of British band The 1975 slammed the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws and kissed a bandmate on stage.
In an expletive-laden speech during the band’s headline performance on July 21, captured in videos shared widely on social media, Healy said he "made a mistake" while booking shows and added, “I do not see the point of inviting The 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have *** with.” Same-*** acts are criminalized in Malaysia and punishable by fines and up to 20 years in prison.
“Unfortunately, you don’t get a set of loads of uplifting songs because I’m [ ] furious. And that’s not fair on you, because you’re not representative of your government. You are young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive,” he told the audience. Healy added that the band considered canceling the show but decided not to disappoint fans. "I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before and it doesn’t feel good,” Healy said before kissing bassist Ross MacDonald on stage. Their set was cut short and the Ministry of Communications and Digital not only canceled the rest of the festival but also banned The 1975 from performing in Malaysia.
But LGBTQ+ Malaysians and activists don't view Healy's stunt as helpful, and actually suggest that their "purely performative activism," which risks hardly anything for them regarding their livelihood, has pushed back all the progress made so far in the country. They say Healy's actions will only make life for the Malaysian LGBTQ+ community worse and make it more difficult for music artists to perform in the country.
Lady Gaga

Banned from: Indonesia.
Joe Biden, Morgan Freeman, and Mark Zuckerberg

Banned from: Russia
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, high-ranking Russian officials and oligarchs have faced harsh sanctions and travel bans. In response, Putin released a "blacklist" of 963 US citizens he has banned from entering Russia. The list includes outspoken political adversaries like President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as their spouses. Hillary Clinton also made the list, but former President Donald Trump was notably absent. Hundreds of US politicians from both the democratic and republican parties were included, as well as several tech executives and leaders of news media outlets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft President Brad Smith were blacklisted, along with journalists from publications like the New York Times, CNN, and The Post. Fox News was left unscathed.
Beyoncé

Banned from: Malaysia.
Chris Brown

Banned from: the UK and Australia.
Selena Gomez

Banned from: China and Russia.
The Beatles

Banned from: the Philippines.
Björk

Banned from: China.
Tyler, The Creator

Banned from: the UK and New Zealand.
Harrison Ford

Banned from: China.
Jay-Z

Banned from: China.
Jon Bon Jovi

Banned from: China.
Alec Baldwin

Banned from: the Philippines.

The actor was banned from the country for making a joke about "Filipino mail-order brides."
Miley Cyrus

Banned from: China and the Dominican Republic.

Miley was banned from China for taking an offensive photo in which she's squinting her eyes. She is also banned from performing in the Dominican Republic as her acts "go against morals and customs" in the country.
Akon

Banned from: Sri Lanka.

The singer is banned from Sri Lanka because his '**** Chick' video features a raunchy pool party in front of a Buddha statue.
Katy Perry

Banned from: China.

Katy Perry has apparently been banned from China for wearing a Taiwanese flag during one of her concerts.
Martin Scorsese

Banned from: China.

The director's 1997 movie 'Kundun' angered Chinese officials for its portrayal of the Dalai Lama's early years.
Sacha Baron Cohen

Banned from: Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

The nature of the comedian's movies 'The Dictator' and 'Borat' got him banned from Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
Boy George

Banned from: the United States.

In 2008, the singer was denied a visa to enter the US because of a trial he was facing back in the UK, as reported by The Telegraph.
Kesha

Banned from: Malaysia.

The pop star was banned from performing in Malaysia after authorities claimed her show would hurt cultural and religious sensitivities.
Martha Stewart

Banned from: the UK.

Stewart wasn't allowed to enter the UK because of her criminal convictions in the US.
Mike Tyson

Banned from: New Zealand.

The former boxer was denied entry into New Zealand for his 1992 conviction, according to The Guardian.
Paris Hilton

Banned from: Japan.

The Hilton heiress is not allowed in Japan because of her criminal record.
Russell Brand

Banned from: Japan and Canada.

Russell Brand is banned from these two countries for his previous substance convictions.
Snoop Dogg

Banned from: Norway.

The West Coast rapper was banned from the Nordic nation for two years after trying to smuggle in marijuana.
Elton John

Banned from: Egypt.

Elton John was allegedly prevented from performing in Egypt for being gay, according to The Guardian.
Lily Allen

Banned from: United States.

Even though the ban has since been lifted, the singer wasn't allowed to enter the US in 2007 after she was arrested for hitting a paparazzi in London.
Christian Slater

Banned from: Canada.

Slater is banned from Canada because of a past DUI conviction.
Busta Rhymes

Banned from: the UK.

The rapper was stopped from entering the UK because he had "unresolved convictions" back in the US.
50 Cent

Banned from: Canada.