Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s famed Oscars afterparty is once again set to take place at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
However, this year’s soirée will see a slight snag. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the famous hotel has seen boycotts for the last two years due to poor treatment of its staff. At the pandemic’s outset, Chateau Marmont let go of almost 250 employees and allegedly didn’t give them insurance or severance. Additionally, there have been claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment.
The local hotel workers’ union is spearheading the boycott, which has seen support from a number of celebrities, including Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Robin Thede, Quinta Brunson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Roxane Gay, who signed the boycott’s pledge.
“For Jay-Z to choose the Chateau Marmont for their Gold Party is shockingly insensitive,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement to the outlet. “They must move their event and choose an afterparty hot spot that treats its workers, especially Black women, with dignity and respect. Jay-Z has a responsibility to do better.”
A picket line will also begin on March 27 at 8 p.m. local time, the same night as the Oscars. Page Six reports the picketers will erect a huge balloon arch to draw attention and hold signs that will “feature the likenesses of their high-profile supporters.”
Before the pandemic, Hov and Bey’s Oscars afterparty was the place to be, and has been known to be attended by Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, Gabrielle Union, and Charlize Theron, and others.
Former Chateau Marmont employee Thomasina Gross served at Jay-Z’s event before. In 2021, she sued the hotel, saying she was racially discriminated against and had been overlooked a number of times for promotions and better pay. White people were hired instead, and she would later have to train them. She also said she faced sexual harassment.
“I’m a huge fan of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, so working at their Gold Party year after year was such an honor and pleasure,” she said, per THR. “They made it a point to acknowledge our hard work and treated us like human beings, not just servers. They said our presence meant a lot to them in terms of helping their party be a success. … I can’t help but think if Jay-Z knew how Chateau treats their workers, they wouldn’t ignore this fact and continue to throw parties there.”
The Chateau Marmont released a statement, calling the allegations “meritless” and “unproven”
“They were manufactured in lawsuits bought and paid for by Unite Here Local 11 as part of their targeted efforts to unionize Chateau Marmont,” the statement went on to say. “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.”
A rep for the hotel tells Complex that the Chateau Marmont is a non-union property, with no “union presence.” That means there’s no “picket line” to cross in the first place.
Complex has reached out to a rep for Jay-Z for comment.
