American singer Chris Brown was on Tuesday denied a visa to visit the U.K. because of his infamous assault on his ex, pop singer Rihanna, in the U.S. last year.
The 21-year-old singer was due to perform five tour dates in the U.K. and one in Ireland, this month but his visa application was not accepted because he holds a conviction for a serious criminal offense.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We reserve the right to refuse entry to the U.K. to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense. Public safety is one of our primary concerns.
“Each application to enter the U.K. is considered on its individual merits.”
MTV.com reported Brown posted messages on his Twitter feed apologizing to his U.K. fans: “SORRY to all the fans in Europe! My tour is cancelled,”
“I’m pretty sure y’all know. My entry was denied in your country. I love you. SORRY!!”
The messages were subsequently removed.