Katy Perry banned from entering China: Reports
Katy Perry
Perry, who is known as the 'Fruit Sister' in China was said to perform at the Victoria Secret?s Fashion Show in Shanghai next week.
Pop singer Katy Perry has been "indefinitely" banned from entering China, PageSix reported on Saturday.
Perry, who is known as 'Fruit Sister' in China was said to perform atthe Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show in Shanghai next week but her visa was denied by the Chinese officials due to a performance in 2015 in Taipei, Taiwan in which she wore a sequined, green dress that had sunflower appliques.
The outfit created a big controversy as the sunflower had been adopted the previous year by anti-China protesters as a symbol, media reports said.
The fact that she also supported a Taiwanese flag as a cape during the showdid not help her case as China and Taiwan have not had the best relations for several years. However, her intention to make a political statement through this is unknown.
PageSix reported that the Chinese officials skim through artists' social media profiles as well as previous news reports to understand if any activities have been adoptedwhich could be posed offensive in any way whatsoever.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid wasearlier denied entry to China following the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show because of an Instagram video posted by her showing her imitating a Buddha by squinting her eyes.
Reports say that Hadid had been criticized in China following the video and even apologized on the Chinese social media site, Weibo.
Other models including Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva, and Irina Sharipova have also had their visas denied by the officials, reports confirmed.
According to media reports, Perry will be replaced by Harry Styles in the show.