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Millions of Katy Perry fans across the world were left in a state of shock when the songstress was banned from performing at the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China.
The Firework singer was banned indefinitely from China, along with a host of other stars including Gigi Hadid, who were booked for the event. According to an exclusive November 2017 report by Page Six, Katy Perry had applied for a Chinese visa but was denied entry by Chinese officials.
Per Page Six, Chinese officials found out about a 2015 Katy Perry show in Taipei, Taiwan in which she wore a glittery sunflower dress dress. The outfit caused much controversy because the sunflower had been adopted as a symbol of protest by anti-China supporters a year before.
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Katy Perry also waved a Taiwanese flag during the concert to show support for the country that had been fighting for its independence for several years.
Chinese officials reportedly comb through the social media profiles of all celebrities who desire access to their country. They are denied access the moment the officials find something offensive. For instance, Gigi Hadid got her visa denied because of an Instagram video in which she held up a biscuit in the shape of Buddha, imitating him by squinting her eyes.
Other celebrities who were denied access to China for the Victoria's Secret Fashion show included Kate Grigorieva, Irina Sharipova, and Julia Belyakova. Meanwhile, Katy Perry was replaced by Harry Styles in the show.
Maroon 5, like Katy Perry, was also denied entry to China in 2015
Maroon 5 was supposed to perform at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on September 12, 2015, but the event was delisted from their website in July. Although tour organizers didn't provide a reason for the cancelation, several fans speculated that it had something to do with the band's closeness with the Dalai Lama.
On July 4, Maroon 5 member Jesse Carmichael attended the birthday party of the Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader tagged as a separatist by the Chinese government. In a tweet that was deleted shortly afterward, Carmichael sent birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama. A few days later, the event was taken down from their website, causing further speculation from fans across the world.
The band lost millions of dollars worth of revenue from the show, which was already sold out by then. They weren't the only band prevented from performing in China for their politically surcharged actions.
For instance, Icelandic singer Bjork was not allowed to perform in China after showing support for the Tibetian cause during a Shanghai concert in 2008. Also included are musical juggernauts like Bob Dylan, Linkin Park, Kenny G, and many others.
