In the latest of China’s celebrity bannings over support of Tibet and the Dalai Lama, Maroon 5 has had two upcoming Chinese shows cancelled following a Tweet by the band’s guitarist well-wishing Tibet’s exiled leader, who is considered a separatist terrorist by the Chinese government.
China has banned many notable celebrities and musicians for their support of Tibet, including actors Brad Pitt for his role in the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet, Richard Gere for his activism, Harrison Ford for a speech in front of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sharon Stone for a quip about a Chinese earthquake having had something to do with China’s accumulated karma.
Bands already on China’s blacklist include Bjork, Oasis, and Bob Dylan, all due to the Chinese government’s concern over the band’s support of Tibet.
The latest addition to the blacklist, Marroon 5, followed keyboardist Jesse Carmichael’s Tweet around the Fourth of July and the Dalai Lama’s birthday:
“Happy Birthday America (and The Dalai Lama too) sang happy birthday to his holiness today.”
The Tweet was later deleted, but a cached copy remained.
The musician also attended a birthday party for the Tibetan leader in Los Angeles July 4, reportedly.
No explanation has been provided by either the Chinese government or the band, but both the upcoming Shanghai and Beijing concerts were suddenly deleted from the band’s Asian tour webpage.
By Andy Stern