Remember how Kina Grannis’ was supposed to perform on September 25 live in Kuala Lumpur for her Elements Tour but it got cancelled for some reason? Well, here’s the REAL reason behind her show cancellations.
The YouTube sensation, together with her husband Jesse Epstein, and Singaporean singer Gentle Bones, were stuck in Indonesia for 100 days after they had their passports confiscated all because their tour promoter, Creon Asia, didn’t manage to secure performance licenses and permits.
Gentle Bones and Epstein were the opening acts for Grannis on her Asia tour, but complications arose during their show in Jakarta on September 16. Grannis details in a post on her official website that immigration officials walked onto the stage and took their passports with no explanations given. That was only the beginning of their nightmare..
When they were interrogated, they learned that Creon Asia failed to get them their performance licenses and permits, and as a result of playing their concert, they committed visa fraud which is punishable by a $35,000 fine per person and 5 years in prison.
After three and a half months of an agonising wait for their fate and the emotional plus physiological challenges that come with the frustrations of not being able to work or missing everything back at home, they were finally released to go back home on December 23 2015. You may read Grannis’ FULL account of the story on her official website.
We can only imagine the horror Grannis and the others have gone through, but we’re SO GLAD it’s finally been resolved. We cannot comprehend how strong and courageous you guys are!
