Boy George 'Devastated' After Being Denied Entry Into America
- Posted on Jun 24th 2008 10:00AM by Benjy Eisen
- Comments (2)
Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse and Boy George have a few things in common. There's the obvious: they're all Brits. And there's the reported: they've each had documented affairs with mind-altering substances. Add another to this list: Visa troubles. What Allen and Winehouse have experienced before him, U.S. officials are refusing to allow Boy George to enter the country for a summer tour. According to his management, "this is not in respect to anything he has done in the past but because he is facing a trial in November in London for something that happened in April last year."Curious, Spinner spoke with Boy George who said he was "truly devastated and really surprised" by the decision.
It was to be Boy George's first U.S. tour in a decade, although two years ago he could be seen sweeping trash off the streets of New York City following a strange encounter with the NYPD: In 2005, he was charged with possession of an eight ball of coke after calling the cops himself, convinced his Manhattan home was being burglarized.
One of the shows that will now have to be canceled was a concert for the New York Department of Sanitation's Family Day to thank and repay them for their kindness during his community service. Asked by Spinner, half-jokingly, if he would consider performing for U.S. Customs if it would help reverse their decision, George says that he would happily play for them. "They are just ordinary people doing their job and they do a fantastic job at that," he says. "I am just sad that they decided not to let me in."
In England, he is currently accused of falsely imprisoning a male escort who, on his end, claims that he's not a male escort. It's not the first bizarre episode in George's history, but in the States, we have a little thing called innocent until proven guilty.
"I am getting my life together and was really looking forward to performing in concert for all my loyal fans," George says. "I love America and I am really sad that it appears that I am not allowed to visit a place I have called home at various times in my life."
Reader Comments(1 of 1)
annielennox1954at 6-25-2008
To Boy George's loyal American fans!
Sign the online petition to grant George a visa to enter the US for his summer tour! http://www.petitiononline.com/govisa08/petition.html
Trevorat 6-26-2008
its amazing
the us government would gladly stand by and watch this
man smoke himself to death and collect billions in taxes at the same time
but when that same man goes one step further in his reckless habits, they throw up the shutters?
and on what grounds?
because boy George snorts cocaine?
so let me get this right.
the government can pick and choose what they want to do regardless of the consequences.
and the worst example of that is when they legalized the production and sale of tobacco.
the consequences of that decision has been terrible.
millions have and will continue to die from smoking related diseases and all because the government wants money.
now look again at the issue of boy George being stopped from entering the usa.
that same government that misused its authority by legalizing tobacco has in effect encouraged its own people to abuse their own bodies so that the government can make money...and that same government now takes a stand against one man who can't possibly do as much harm as the tobacco companies do but yet boy George is treated as if he is a threat.
and while this is happening, countless American people are buying cigarettes and smoking themselves to death and the government does nothing and continues making money from this death dealing business.
imagine if the us fire dept adopted such a hypocritical policy in that they saved some people from burning to death in fires but ignored others?
the fact is they would be finished and they would only have themselves to blame.
but the government can adopt such a policy regarding tobacco and remain in power.
unbelievable.