Ja Rule announced he had been refused entry into the United Kingdom just a few days before the start of his new tour, which had been anticipated since December. The artist was slated to hold his first show for “The Sunrise Tour” on Friday.
He voiced his disappointment in a series of social media posts, tweeting, “I’m so devastated I can’t believe the UK won’t let me in I’ve spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry DAYS before my shows this is not fair to me or my fans these venues are 85% sold and now I can’t come…”
“The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records,” Rule said in a follow-up post, indicating that his criminal past was the reason for his denial of entry. “In general, you will likely be denied entry if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by 23 months or more under British law or served more than 12 months in prison. This…?” he expressed.
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Ja Rule was freed from prison in May 2013 after spending two years in prison for crimes related to gun and tax evasion, according to People.
When a fan asked, the artist indicated that reimbursements would be offered, but did not provide any other information.
Some fans in the comments questioned why more inquiry was not done before selecting the location. “Booked and gutted, but…… .Surely for such a global artist, “Team JA” would have checked this beforehand. Disappointing for fans,” one remarked.
In expressing their sympathy, some asked that the well-known rapper not be attacked, stating, “For the ones saying he should have sorted it out or did research, y’all have to understand that it was handled by the promoter ik for fact ja wouldn’t do anything to hurt his fans and he put his all into this tour i understand fans are mad or confused but y’all have to understand this isn’t his fault.”
However, this is not the first time a celebrity has been denied entry into the UK. Snoop Dogg had a similar incident in 2007 and had to put off his tour with Diddy after unsuccessful attempts to appeal the decision, HipHopDX reported.
He also missed that year’s MTV Australian Video Music Awards, which he was supposed to co-host, due to being unable to enter the nation.
Those who “have previously been convicted of a criminal offense punishable by at least 12 months imprisonment” will typically not be allowed entry into the country, according to Unlock, a charity in the U.K. that assists people with criminal records. Additionally, a person “may be refused permission to stay on the basis of his character, conduct or associations or if he represents a threat to national security.”
According to the website, “clearance officers will take account of any available local intelligence about a person’s criminal activities overseas,” even though the nation has access to the criminal records of other nations.
