The Australian government has followed through with its threat to deny R&B singer Chris Brown entry into the country for his upcoming national tour, due to his violent past.
In 2009, at just 19 years old, Chris Brown was charged with the assault of his then girlfriend Rihanna in what was a very public case.
Rihanna was brutally attacked by the singer after leaving a pre-Grammy Awards party, leaving her with facial injuries that required hospitalisation. He was sentenced to five years probation for the crime.
Following the change in Prime Minister, Australia has recently cracked down on domestic violence. With 63 deaths caused from domestic violence this year alone, Malcolm Turnbull declared this his first order of business, announcing that this issue has been “overlooked for too long” and that “real men don’t hit women”.
Speaking at the launch of a new domestic violence strategy, the Minister for Women Michaelia Cash spoke of how the singer should be denied a visa due to his assault conviction.
Set to to perform four concerts around the country in December, many fans are disappointed about the outcome. Brown now has just less than a month to explain why he should be granted a visa.
This follows similar issues surrounding controversial rapper Tyler the Creator, who was forced to cancel his Australian ‘Cherry Bomb’ tour due a campaign formed by the feminist group Collective Shout that rallied against his violent and misogynistic lyrics. And world famous boxer Floyd Mayweather denied a visa for his history of violence against women.
It is clear that Australia will not stand for any form of domestic violence, with celebrities and performers being no exception. However, tickets for Brown’s Australian shows are still able to be purchased, having not yet cancelled the concerts in the hope that he can challenge his visa denial.