A-list guests are going to have to pass a picket line to enter Jay-Z’s Oscar night bash at the troubled Chateau Marmont this weekend.
The iconic Los Angeles hotel has been subject to an ongoing boycott since 2020. Nearly 250 of the hotel’s employees were let go at the beginning of the pandemic, allegedly without insurance or severance.
And there have been allegations of racial discrimination and harassment, which the hotel has denied.
Still, Jay is going ahead with his starry bash, where he will be joined by Beyoncé, who is performing at the Oscar telecast live from a Compton tennis court.
In a press release, Unite Here Local 11 Union, which is supporting the West Hollywood hotel’s workers, asks “Jay-Z to honor the boycott by choosing another venue for the famed after-party.”
The union is planning a picket line at 8 p.m. this Sunday with a giant balloon arch to garner attention and will make signs, we’re told, that will feature the likenesses of their high-profile supporters such as Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Samira Wiley and Ta-Nehisi Coates, who have all publicly backed the boycott.
“Celebrities have a responsibility to lead by example. Jay-Z has the opportunity right now to do just that by listening to the stories of Chateau Marmont workers and move his event to a location that treats its workers with dignity and respect,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, tells Page Six.
Jay-Z held his “Gold Party” bash after the Oscars at the hotel in 2020, attracting stars including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
In January, banquet server Thommi Gross, who worked at the celeb haunt for more than three years, filed a lawsuit against the hotel alleging racial discrimination, 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual harassment and retaliation. Gross claimed in her suit that she was passed over for promotions, which were given to less qualified white hires.
Server Keisha Banks told Page Six in 2020 that she had a similar experience, saying she was repeatedly passed over for promotions and “it was certainly a place where it was clear if you were a white man, you had no issues.”
The hotel’s rep told us at the time: “Of the six departments at Chateau Marmont, three are led by people of color. Compensation is not determined or defined by ethnicity or any other such factor. Wages are set based on the work assigned.” And “We take very seriously our equal-opportunity employment obligations.”
Banks tells us when it comes to Jay-Z throwing his party at the Chateau, “We constantly see Black elites putting their fame and money before their fans.
“By now, Jay-Z and Beyonce must be aware that Chateau’s workers have spoken out about being mistreated. They should be leveraging and moving their dollars elsewhere in solidarity with the people they claim to support and who are calling out for justice.
“At this point, the news on Chateau is out there, some celebs are willfully choosing to ignore it. The working class is sick of seeing the rich virtue signal.”
Guest relations employee Adrian Jules also filed a suit against the hotel alleging his complaints against a white co-worker were ignored.
A rep for Chateau tells us, “These meritless allegations are all unproven for one simple reason: they were manufactured in lawsuits bought and paid for by Unite Here Local 11 as part of their targeted efforts to unionize Chateau Marmont.
“Contrary to the bogus claims in these already-dismissed, union-backed sham filings, Chateau Marmont has a long and well-documented history of diversity and inclusion among both our employees and our guests.”
Paramount Plus series “The Offer” was scheduled to film at the hotel, but changed locations in August when producers learned of the ongoing dispute between the hotel and former staff.
Aaron Sorkin’s Lucille Ball biopic “Being the Ricardos” also pulled out of filming at the famed spot.
Other supporters of the boycott have included Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, Tom Morello, Edie Falco, Amanda Seyfried, Daveed Diggs and Sarah Silverman.
A rep for Jay-Z didn’t immediately comment.
