Update – December 22nd 10:43am:
The reason for the ban has now reportedly been revealed.
Original Story:
Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has apparently been banned from the Ukraine for five years. Billboard.com have word of local Ukrainian publication Apostrof reporting that Durst had recently been banned from the country “in the interests of guaranteeing the security of our state.” The ban was later confirmed by the Interfax News Agency, though no additional details were provided.
As to why Durst would be banned, it probably has a lot to do with his recent interests in Crimea, a region of the Ukraine that was controversially annexed by Russia in 2014. Durst had previously expressed interest in buying a residence in that area and was also said to have partnered with their local government to produce Crimea and Russian friendly film and TV projects. That arrangement was said to be a part of a cultural initiative backed by Crimea’s government, which has been trying to entice Western celebrities to the region for film/TV with various incentives. It’s probably also worth noting his wife Kseniya Beryazina was originally from Crimea.
While it’s not clear if it was part of that arrangement, Durst recently shared a number of videos from the band’s extensive Russian touring last month, in which he took in various local culture, visited a vodka distillery and spoke to students at a Russian school.
