Chris Brown’s tour to New Zealand and Australia has been cancelled, in a move welcomed by politicians opposed to his visit.
A statement from his promoters, Castor and Ford, issued on Wednesday morning, confirmed the Australasian leg of Brown’s One Hell of a Nite tour will not take place.
Before the announcement, it had been speculated that Brown might be forced to cancel the New Zealand leg after the R&B star was denied a visa to enter Australia: it’s a costly move to bring a US star to solely play New Zealand dates.
On Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Immigration New Zealand said: “Immigration New Zealand can confirm that Chris Brown withdrew his application for a work visa to travel to New Zealand. No decision had been made on the application. Any further queries need to be directed to the concert promoter.”
The promoters’ New Zealand spokesman, Jevan Goulter, did not want to elaborate on a brief statement in which Brown offered his “deepest condolences” for cancelling the gig: “Mr Brown wishes to express his deepest gratitude to the fans for their support and looks forward to a successful tour in the near future. Mr Brown and the promoters both remain positive that a tour will take place in the near future.”
Brown is technically barred from entering New Zealand, as he has been unable to enter other countries due to his felony convictions and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said Brown would need a “special direction” waiver to enter the country.
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