LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — R&B singer Chris Brown has been forced to cancel his planned tour of Australia and New Zealand after running into visa troubles steming from his 2009 assault conviction.
Ticketek Australia announced on their Facebook page that five of Brown's shows, including Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, had been canceled.
"Mr. Brown and the promoters both remain positive that the tour will take place in the near future,” the ticketing company said in a statement. “Mr. Brown wishes to express his deepest gratitude to the fans for their support and looks forward to a successful tour in the near future.”
The first hint that the Australian leg of Brown's tour might be in trouble came at the end of September, when Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton indicated that the ministry was considering Brown's request to enter the country in light of his criminal history.
“I can confirm that a notice of intention to consider refusal has been issued. People to whom these notices are issued have 28 days to present material as to why they should be given a visa to enter Australia," Dutton said in a statement in September.
“Decisions on whether a visa will or will not be issued are made after that timeframe and consideration of the material presented to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.” – Staff Writers
