Chris Brown is probably banned from visiting Australia over the Rihanna assault
Australia's government warned R&B singer Chris Brown on Sunday that he will probably be denied a visa due to his domestic violence record. Brown, convicted of assaulting pop star Rihanna, had planned a December tour in the country, CNN reports.
"People need to understand — if you are going to commit domestic violence and then you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to you, 'You cannot come in because you are not of the character that we expect in Australia,'" Minister for Women Michaelia Cash said Thursday.
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Allowing Brown to tour would be "implicitly sending the message that if you brutally beat a woman, in a short amount of time you will be forgiven, or even celebrated," read the petition, which has more than 14,000 signatures.
The musician has 28 days to present evidence as to why he should be permitted in Australia. Should officials decide to deny his visa, Australia would join the ranks of Britain, Canada, and New Zealand, which have all refused entry to Brown after his 2009 guilty plea.
