- Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva, Irina Sharipova, and Dasha Khlystun were reportedly denied visas to travel to China.
- It seems they won't be able to walk in the upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, held in Shanghai.
- It's unclear why the models were reportedly denied visas.
- Victoria's Secret and the models' agencies have not confirmed or denied these reports.
- This news comes just weeks after a 14-year-old Russian model died after collapsing backstage at a Shanghai Fashion Week runway show.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is just days away, but it seems that something has already gone awry.
Four models have reportedly been denied visas to travel to China, which means that they will not be able to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show held in Shanghai on November 20, as Fashionista first reported.
Based on information from the Instagram account @VSModelSpain, Fashionista reported that Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva, and Irina Sharipova of Russia and Dasha Khlystun of Ukraine have all been denied visas to travel to China.
The account published a screenshot of a conversation with Khlystun, which seemingly confirms the reports.
If true, it's unclear why the models' visas were seemingly denied. Representatives from Victoria's Secret, CBS (which broadcasts the show), and three of the models' agencies did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment. New York Model Management, which represents Belyakova, declined to comment on the status of the model's visa.
Since the news broke on Tuesday, Victoria's Secret fans have expressed their disappointment and frustration.
if you think you're having a bad day....... Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova were casted for the VS Fashion Show but their Chinese Visa's got declined today so they can't walk in the show on Monday........
— Emily Sebesta (@EmilySebestaa) November 14, 2017
Four models have been denied the required Chinese Visa, including Julia Belyakova, Kate Grigorieva and Irina Sharipova from Russia, as well as Dasha Khlystun from Ukraine.Probably this is related to the death of a Russian model in china. I’m so disappointed
— ♕ (@GallianoBitch) November 15, 2017
#VSFashionShow
I will shade VS and one of my agencies like how the fuck they didnt worked out with their visas before when all our management doesnt let us breath when we have to travel to countries lol they start working on the visa process months before. VS really did dirty on those models.
— BTS (@baldwinstruth) November 15, 2017
So sad that some models can’t walk the show anymore bc they didn’t get a visa!! So unorganised. Who will replace them?
— َ (@sunskriver) November 14, 2017
According to the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in New York, travelers should apply for a visa about two months before they intend to travel to China. However, 61 models were confirmed to walk in the fashion show back in August, nearly three months before the November 20 fashion show.
Additionally, it's not immediately clear why models from Russia and Ukraine specifically have been denied visas. As Business Insider pointed out, a Chinese news agency recently reported that "China-Russia relations are at their 'best time in history.'"
That said, it's worth noting that this news comes just several weeks after a 14-year-old Russian model died after collapsing backstage at a Shanghai Fashion Week show.
This isn't the first controversy to impact the fashion show. Earlier this year, people in China said that Gigi Hadid was not welcome in Shanghai because of a video that showed her imitating Buddha's appearance resurfaced. Hadid has since apologized, and at this time it seems that she will be walking in the show as planned.
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