Italy is the latest country considering pulling the plug on his upcoming tour stop there, after a senior member of Italy’s Democratic Party urged the government to intervene over the rapper’s antisemitism.
Key Facts
- West is scheduled to headline the Hellwatt Festival on July 18 in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia.
- Pina Picierno, vice president of the European Parliament and a senior member of Italy’s Democratic Party, told La Gazzetta di Reggio that Italy moving forward with selling roughly 68,000 tickets, despite France taking steps to cancel Kanye’s planned Marseille concert, is not acceptable and is asking the Ministry of the Interior to reconsider his performance.
- Reggio Emilia Mayor Marco Massari said he is “distancing himself from Kanye West’s behavior and remarks,” while noting that any decision about West’s entry falls outside the city’s authority and in the hands of the Ministry of the Interior.
- Hellwatt Festival artistic director Victor Yari Milani described the event as “a space for free artistic expression,” adding that while West’s past comments have sparked backlash, he issued a formal apology through The Wall Street Journal in January.
- The concert has not been postponed or cancelled as of Wednesday.
Key Background
West’s European tour has faced mounting setbacks since it was first announced, with controversy surrounding nearly every stop. After fallout tied to the cancellation of the Wireless Festival in the U.K. earlier this month, several countries have begun reconsidering or pulling support for his performances, pointing to West’s past antisemitic remarks and arguing that allowing him to perform could be seen as endorsing those views.West was just seen leaving a Jewish rights center the other day, but no comment from his team was made about the visit.
Tangent
West is not the only high-profile figure to face international bans over controversy. Chris Brown, for example, has been denied entry to countries including Canada, the U.K. and Australia following his conviction for assaulting Rihanna.. In 2017, Justin Bieber was barred from performing in China, with Beijing’s Culture Bureau citing “bad behavior” and labeling him a “controversial foreign singer.”. Katy Perry was also denied a visa to enter China for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai after officials took issue with a dress she wore during a 2015 performance in Taiwan that featured sunflowers, a symbol linked to anti-China protests. Actor Brad Pitt faced a similar ban following the release of his 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet, which angered Chinese officials over its portrayal of the country and its depiction of the Dalai Lama. Selena Gomez was reportedly denied a visa by Russian officials in 2013, a move widely believed to be tied to her support for LGBTQ+ rights.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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