It looks like Lady Gaga might have (unintentionally) gotten herself into a little bit of trouble while with the Dalai Lama in China to discuss yoga.
Apparently that didn’t sit well with the Communist party’s propaganda department, who reportedly went all in to condemn the singer’s live broadcast interview from mainland China. Chinese websites and media organizations were ordered to stop uploading or distributing her songs immediately in a sign of Beijing’s irritation.
Gaga isn’t the first artist to get in trouble with China on openly applauding the Dalai Lama like this. Maroon 5, Bjork and Oasis were barred from performing in the country after they met with the Dalai Lama or spoke out in favor of him or Tibetan independence.
Thank you for this special day. Science tells us kindness improves health, let’s take care of the body of our nation pic.twitter.com/jsvlTy5pTH
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) June 26, 2016
On a more positive note, a video of the 19-minute encounter featured the pair shedding light on issues such as meditation, mental health and how to detoxify humanity. The interview clip was posted on Lady Gaga’s Facebook account.
Even though the Dalai Lama is famously known for his dedication to advocating for peace, the Chinese government still views him as a “dangerous” figure with alternative motives. Hong Lei, a spokesperson for the Chinese government said, “The purpose of his visits and activities in other countries is just to promote his proposal for Tibetan independence. We hope that people from the international community can be fully aware of his true colors and nature.”
Observing the entire situation, it is not clear if Lady Gaga’s future events in China will be facing restrictions.