The Australian government on Sunday formally warned Chris Brown that he is likely to be denied a visa for his coming tour because of his criminal conviction for assaulting pop star Rihanna in 2009. The immigration department issued the R&B singer a “notice of intention to consider refusal,” giving him 28 days to present evidence as to why he should be allowed to enter the country, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement. The notice comes just days after former Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash urged Dutton to refuse the 26-year-old a visa on character grounds. Brown was expected to arrive in Australia in December for a tour of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. A publicist for Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The immigration department will decide whether to grant Brown a visa after the 28-day time frame has expired.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt would only nod and walk away when asked about his secret meeting with Edward Snowden. But earlier, the actor did take the time to compare playing the U.S. intelligence leaker to portraying another real-life character in his latest film. Gordon-Levitt plays the high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who in 1974, after years of planning, illegally stretched a wire between the World Trade Center’s twin towers and walked across it. “Both took enormous risks, showed incredible courage, broke the law, and did something they very deeply believed in,” Gordon-Levitt said Saturday at the world premiere of Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk, which chronicles Petit’s high-wire stunt. Gordon-Levitt said he believes even the differences between Snowden and Petit have similarities. “Philippe is the quintessential artist who believes in beauty and whimsy. Edward Snowden is the quintessential engineer who believes in logic and facts,” the actor said. In 2013, Snowden, a systems analyst, leaked classified information from the U.S. National Security Agency about its surveillance programs, which were spying on ordinary Americans. He fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum despite demands by the U.S. that he return to face espionage and other charges. Gordon-Levitt secretly met with Snowden in Russia to discuss the role. Written and directed by Oliver Stone, Snowden comes out in 2016.