Banned abroad : celebrities banned in certain countries

Snoop Dogg
On April 20, Snoop Dogg will be celebrating to commemorate the unofficial pot smoker's holiday. The rapper will host two Wellness Retreat" concerts with Wiz Khalifa in the two most marijuana-friendly states in the US - Washington and Colorado. While his fans may think it's cool, the move will probably not earn him any brownie points with authorities abroad, as Snoop features on the banned list of four countries. In Norway, he has been banned for two years after being busted trying to bring 8 gms of marijuana into the country. The UK banned the rapper from 2006 till 2010 after a duty free shop was vandalised when members of Snoop Dogg's crew were denied entrance to the first class lounge. Down under in Australia Snoop was banned for his criminal record in 2007, but was allowed back in 2008. In Netherlands, Snoop was banned from performing at the Parkpop Festival.

Brad Pitt
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt's decision to act in the movie Seven Years in Tibet did not win him any fans with the Chinese authorities who banned him from China because the movie did not positively portray China's treatment of the Tibetan people.

Harrison Ford
Much like his fellow actor Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford is also not welcome to enter China or Tibet. The move is in response to the actor's decision to testify in support of the Dalai Lama and independence for Tibet at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1995.

Paris Hilton
Japan's has strict immigration laws which prevent people with drug convictions from entering the country as a result socialite Paris Hilton had to drop her plans from visiting the country, when she was denied entry and had to catch a return flight back to Los Angeles in 2010.

Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus does not find favour with the Chinese government especially after a photo appeared online showing Cyrus (in the centre) and a group of friends slanting their eyes. Miley was immediately barred from entering China. Also banned were broadcasts of her TV show and movies, as well as merchandise sales. China's foreign minister said, "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."

Akon
Singer Akon was banned from Sri Lanka because the rapper angered people in the predominantly Buddhist country with his Sexy Chick video, which featured scantily clad women dancing near a statue of Buddha.

Boy George
Singer Boy George was banned from the United States after pleading guilty to falsely imprisoning a male escort.

Alec Baldwin
Not everyone shares your sense of humour is something actor Alec Baldwin learnt when he was banned from the Philippines after making a joke about ordering a Filipina mail-order bride on Late Night With David Letterman in 2009.

Richard Gere
Actor Richard Gere was also banned from China. He is a devout Buddhist and supporter of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan independence, which probably describes why he features on the country's banned list.

Banned or not?
Lindsay Lohan
According to reports actor Lindsay Lohan is blacklisted by the Indian government. This was related to her trip toIndia in December 2009 when she falsely claimed she had rescued 40 child workers. On Twitter, she boasted of her role in a daring raid on a child labour sweatshop and claimed the experience had changed her life. She tweeted ""Over 40 children saved so far…… Within one day's work," the actress ..."This is what life is about….. Doing THIS is a life worth living!!!"..."traffiking is a big issue here, I'm [doing] what I can, and I will continue to do so as long as life when time permits it," she wrote. She later said "Focusing on celebrities and lies is so disconcerting, when we can be changing the world one child at a time ... hope everyone can see that". However according to activists leading the raids, Ms Lohan did not arrive in India until after the raids had been completed and the children had been rescued. These claims also caught the attention of Indian officials who then found that she had broken the country's visa rules by traveling as a tourist while working on a BBC documentary which was an expose of child labor and trafficking of women. As a result the actress has been banned until the issue with her work visa is fully reviewed.

Chris Brown
According to some reports singer Chris Brown was denied entry in the UK based on his 2009 felony assault conviction after he brutally beat former girlfriend Rihanna during an argument in his car. An official reported that the UK banned Chris as a safety concern due to his criminal past. He said, "We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense." However the rapper denied the buzz saying he was not banned. He'd apparently never intended to go in the first place, due to previously booked tour dates.

They may not be officially on the banned list but getting a visa has been tough for these Bollywood stars.
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt's application for his visa renewal (he had a 10-year visa to visit the United States) was rejected for the second time in 2010 by the US consulate on the grounds that he was convicted for the 1993 serial blasts, for illegal possession of arms. He has been applying for a US visa for more than two years.

Salman Khan
Reportedly, actor Salman Khan's UK visa issues did affect the shoot of his yet to be released film Kick. Salman was said to be stuck in Mumbai thanks to visa troubles and a looming court date in the hit-and-run case.