m_rocketman_053119-3

Paramount Pictures

Paramount PicturesAfter reports that Russia was censoring parts of Rocketman, now comes news that the Elton John biopic has been banned in the Pacific nation of Samoa because of its depictions of homosexuality.

According to the Samoa Observer, Samoa’s principal censor Leiataua Niuapu Faaui says the homosexual activity shown in the movie violates the country’s laws and isn’t in line with Samoa’s cultural and Christian beliefs.

Under Samoa’s 2013 Crimes Act, sodomy is deemed an offense punishable by up to seven years in prison, even if both parties consent.

Apollo Cinemas Samoa wrote on its Facebook page, “Unfortunately due to censoring issues we have had to cancel Rocketman.”

When a Russian distributor censored scenes from Rocketman featuring gay sex and drug use, Elton and the filmmakers denounced it in a joint statement.

They wrote in part, “That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people.”

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.