9 Famous Americans You Won’t Believe Have Been Banned From The U.K.

Published January 6, 2016
Updated February 5, 2018

Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman

Dog The Bounty Hunter

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Before Dog the Bounty Hunter garnered a large TV audience for aggressively chasing people who skipped out on bail, he served one and a half years of a five-year sentence for first-degree murder. Allegedly, he had nothing to do with the murder, and he was just waiting in a car while his friend killed a drug dealer after the deal went sour. Nevertheless, his 2012 refusal letter from the U.K. Border Agency made things clear when it stated: “Records show that you were convicted of one offence which carried a sentence of five years. According to those records, that conviction is not spent.”

Chris Brown

Chris Brown

Image Source: Wikipedia

Hip hop heavy hitter Chris Brown was banned from entering the U.K. back in 2009 when he applied for a work visa to perform at a Michael Jackson tribute show. His battery of then-girlfriend Rihanna, and the ensuing assault conviction, were the cause. The event’s promoter seemed to have missed the memo, claiming that Brown wasn’t allowed into the country merely because of “unforeseen circumstances.”

Samson Obama, President Obama’s Half-Brother

Obama Family

Samson Abo Obama, circled. Image Source: Wikipedia

Ok, Samson Obama isn’t actually an American citizen (he’s Kenyan). But hey, he is the half-brother of the President of the United States. And in 2008, while in the U.K., Samson Obama attempted to sexually assault a teenage girl. He denied the claim to the authorities and returned to Kenya. When he attempted to make a trip back to Britain the following year, he was denied entry because, according to the U.K. Home Office, allowing him into the country was “not conducive to the public good.”

author
Nickolaus Hines
author
Nickolaus Hines graduated with a Bachelor's in journalism from Auburn University, and his writing has appeared in Men's Journal, Inverse, and VinePair.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.