There has been talk that Katy Perry was set to grace the stage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, but it appears she won’t be going to China after all. According to Page Six, Perry has supposedly been barred from entering the country for an unknown amount of time. Apparently, the 33-year-old singer applied for a visa, but it was denied by Chinese officials. While Perry was allegedly told she would be able to enter the country, things apparently took a turn when the government found out about a sunflower dress she wore during a performance in Taiwan back in 2015.
There was quite a stir caused by Perry’s outfit at the concert, as it featured a sunflower – a symbol associated with a protest movement against a controversial Chinese trade agreement back in 2014. In addition to this, she also wore a Taiwanese flag draped over her shoulders during part of the show. While it may not have been her intention, these actions were seen as politically charged and sparked outrage in China, which has a contentious relationship with Taiwan over its independence.
According to a source, Chinese officials scrutinize the social media and press reports of every artist who plans to perform in China. They search for any actions or statements that might offend the country. In fact, Maroon 5 was prohibited from performing in China a few years ago because one of its band members tweeted a birthday greeting to the Dalai Lama, which was considered offensive by the Chinese government.
There might be a reason why Gigi Hadid surprisingly declared yesterday that she won’t participate in the upcoming VS Fashion Show. While the model didn’t provide any clarification for her decision, insiders claim that she was prohibited from entering the country due to a disputed video in February where she seemed to ridicule Asians. The clip also sparked negative feedback on Twitter when it emerged earlier this year.
There has been no official word from Victoria’s Secret regarding the alleged bans of Katy Perry or Gigi Hadid. In fact, the brand had not even confirmed Perry’s performance in Shanghai, which was rumored after pictures of her contract surfaced online. This would have been Perry’s second time performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, having previously performed in 2010. The show is set to take place on Monday, and fans will have to wait until then to find out who the musical acts will be.