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US R&B singer Chris Brown has claimed he should be allowed to tour Australia. Photo: AP
Controversial rapper Chris Brown has cancelled his Australian tour after being denied a visa based on his history of domestic violence.
Ticketek Australia released a statement on Wednesday morning confirming Brown's Australian and New Zealand tour scheduled for December had been scrapped.
Convicted ... Chris Brown leaves court in 2009 after facing assault charges against former girlfriend Rihanna. Photo: Getty
In September, the Australian government issued Brown with a notice of intent to refuse him a visa, one day before his tickets went on sale.
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The rapper then had 28 days to either challenge or withdraw his application to visit Australia. His appeal was unsuccessful.
The 26-year-old was convicted in 2009 for assaulting and threatening to kill his then-girlfriend Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation.
Tickets for Brown's Down Under tour remained on sale despite his visa status remaining unclear.
In a statement, Brown's promoter said they were confident he would tour Australia "in the near future".
"Mr Brown wishes to express his deepest gratitude to the fans for their support and looks forward to a successful tour in the near future."
On Twitter, Brown campaigned for the government to issue him a visa, saying he wanted to teach young people the danger of domestic violence.
"I would be more than grateful to come to Australia to raise awareness about domestic violence. I'm not the pink elephant in the room anymore," he said.
Fans have expressed their devastation at the tour cancellation, claiming it was unjustifiable to deny the rapper a visa.
"@chrisbrown I am really sorry about the Australian government. It's not fair, I hope to see you in the future," one person wrote.
This is the second high-profile instance of the government denying a controversial performer a visa this year.
In August, American rapper Tyler the Creator cancelled his Australian tour after announcing he had been banned from entering the country.
Feminist group Collective Shout organised a public campaign to have the rapper denied a visa due to the violent and mysoginistic nature of his lyrics which spoke about the rape, kidnapping and murder of women.