For most people, international travel involves getting your passport ready, booking your ticket, and taking off. However, for Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, it can be a little more complicated. Did you know the musician was once banned from entering Ukraine, and may still be?
Durst’s Desire To Move To Russia-Controlled Area
Durst was barred from entering the country in 2015 after expressing interest in purchasing a house in Crimea. The area, near the Black Sea, was annexed by Russia in 2014. Russian newspaper Izvestia reported at the time that Durst wanted to move there for six months to produce film and TV content.
This aligned with an open letter Sergey Aksyonov, the leader of Crimea, wrote, saying he wanted to turn the region into “the new Beverly Hills.” Other local Crimean leaders said they were prepared to grant land to celebrities who wanted to move there, but only if they took part in an advertising campaign to promote the area.
Durst: ‘Putin Is A Great Guy’
In addition to moving to Crimea, Durst was interested in getting a Russian passport. He told Russian news agency Sputnik International, “I wouldn’t mind getting a Russian passport. If you have communication with the relevant authorities, which could assist with obtaining it, share.”
Durst also allegedly wrote a letter praising Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying, “I think that President Putin will understand what kind of person I am, having looked into my eyes, and will know that he has an ally that can help in many things. I am sure that we can do many important things together and it will help Russia, and it will help people all around the world to understand that Putin is a great guy with clear moral principles and a nice person.”
However, Ukrainian officials were not pleased to hear about Durst’s potential move to the Russian region, and they banned him from visiting their country. Ukraine’s security service said that “in the interest of guaranteeing the security” of the country, they would bar him from entering Ukraine for the next five years.
Steven Seagal Was Also Banned From Ukraine
Durst isn’t the only celebrity who got banned from Ukraine. Suggest recently reported on actor Steven Seagal’s banishment from the country. Seagal is a longtime friend of Putin and received honorary Russian citizenship in 2017. He was promptly banned from Ukraine for the next five years.
Between Durst’s desire to move to Crimea and Seagal’s friendship with Putin, it’s no surprise that Ukrainian officials decided they wouldn’t let either celebrity into the country.
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