The elegant Beverly Hills Hotel is slowly but surely losing its footing as a favorite home away from home for a growing number of celebrities, and singer John Legend recently added his name to that list.
Earlier this month, Legend was scheduled to attend a soiree thrown in his honor by magazine L.A. Confidential, but the “All of Me” singer backed out in protest of the politics of the hotel’s owner, Brunei leader Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Bolkiah has instituted policies that many consider anti-women and anti-LGBT, as well a new penal code that includes capital punishment for same-sex acts.
“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 or the spirit of the event,” said Amanda Silverman, a spokeswoman for Legend. “John does not, in any way, wish to further enrich the Sultan while he continues to enforce these brutal laws.”
Other celebrities to boycott Bolkiah’s chain, The Dorchester Collection, include Anna Wintour, Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno.
