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| R&B star John Legend has refused to attend a party given in his honor at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Image: JStone / Shutterstock.com |
R&B singer John Legend refused to attend a party held in
his honor at the Beverly Hills Hotel Pink Crystal Ballroom after learning that
the company owner, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, supports Sharia law in his home
country of Brunei. Sharia law allows for
the stoning of those found guilty of adultery (predominantly women) or
homosexuality.
Nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song as well as a
Grammy, Legend appeared on the cover of the December/January issue of LA Confidential and was invited by the
magazine to headline the first of many parties to celebrate the award
season. However, upon learning about
Bolkiah’s politics, he joined a long list of Hollywood celebrities boycotting
the hotel chain.
"These
policies, which, among other things, could permit women and LGBT Bruneians to
be stoned to death, are heinous and certainly don't represent John's
values," Legend's
publicist, Amanda Silverman, said. "John does not, in any way, wish to
further enrich the Sultan while he continues to enforce these brutal laws.”
Bolkiah
installed the code in October of 2013, leading celebrities, including Ellen
DeGeneres and Elton John, to institute a viral boycott. In addition the City
of Beverly Hills voted unanimously to pressure the government of Brunei to
divest the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Human Rights Campaign sent the hotel a
letter strongly urging LA Confidential to
reconsider the venue.
Event
organizers at LA Confidential declared
that they respect Legend’s decision, but still intended to hold the event at
the hotel.
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