The Beverly Hills Hotel is in crisis as customers desert the storied venue in disgust over owner Sultan of Brunei’s anti-gay stance. Hollywood has turned against the historic hotel after the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, announced his plans to introduce Sharia law in Brunei — a strict Islamic penal code calling for penalties including flogging, the severing of limbs, and death by stoning for acts including adultery and homosexuality, starting last week.
The United Nations expressed “deep concern,” while stars including Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Osbourne have taken to Twitter to announce they will boycott the hotel, along with other Sultan-owned properties including the Hotel Bel-Air and London’s Dorchester. And event planners are deserting the Beverly Hills Hotel by the droves. Nancy Davis, daughter of the late Marvin Davis who once wned the Beverly Hills Hotel, moved Saturday’s event Race to Erase MS to the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.
A dinner honoring Sony’s Amy Pascal has also been moved from the hotel, as well as the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s prestigious Night Before the Oscars gala, which was started by Jeffrey Katzenberg, among others.
The Hollywood Reporter yesterday said it has notified the Beverly Hills Hotel that it will not hold its annual Women in Entertainment at the property.
One source who went to the hotel Sunday for brunch said, “It is usually packed at that time, but this Sunday the Beverly Hills Hotel was a ghost town.”
On Monday, former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno joined a protest organized by The Feminist Majority Foundation outside the hotel – and compared the Sultan to Donald Sterling.
“Let’s put it in perspective. The people in the Beverly Hills Hotel are the Clippers. The Sultan is Sterling,” Leno said. according to The Wrap.”
We don’t blame anyone who works at the hotel. They’re just the Clippers players, they’re doing their game.”
Last night many influencers in Hollywood were leaning on the city to pressure the Sultan into selling the Beverly Hills Hotel Mayor Lili Bosse reportedly said she will bring the matter before the Beverly Hills City Council asking the “government of Brunei to divest itself of” the LA landmark.
A rep for the hotel forwarded their previous statement, which reads, “While we recognize people’s concerns, we believe this boycott should not be directed to our hotels and dedicated employees.”