The planned event puts Jay Z at odds with a campaign backed by Hollywood unions and supported by names such as Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, and Gabrielle Union.
Pre-pandemic, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Oscars afterparty in the Chateau Marmont’s parking garage had become the most coveted invite of the big night. Revelers at the 2020 event, known as the Gold Party, which features a no-phones policy, included Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, Gabrielle Union, and Charlize Theron.
Now, after a two-year absence, Jay-Z is set to throw the Oscar-night event in a lounge space on the Sunset Strip hotel’s storied property that was once home to Bar Marmont. (Beyoncé is slated to perform her track “Be Alive” from the film King Richard on the awards telecast, possibly from a tennis court in Compton, California.)
There is an ongoing boycott of the property, led by the local hotel workers’ union, over the Chateau Marmont’s alleged treatment of employees. The campaign — which has the backing of Hollywood unions and celebrities and has already put a stop to at least two production shoots (for Being the Ricardos and The Offer) — has highlighted claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.
“For Jay-Z to choose the Chateau Marmont for their Gold Party is shockingly insensitive,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, in a statement. “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.” He added: “We hope Jay-Z joins Gabrielle Union, Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Robin Thede, Quinta Brunson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, Ashley Nicole Black, and Samira Wiley in boycotting Chateau Marmont.” All of the names noted by Petersen, per the union, have previously signed its boycott pledge.
Thomasina Gross, a former events server at the hotel, who is Black, filed a lawsuit against the hotel in 2021 alleging, among other issues, racial discrimination, noting that she’d been repeatedly passed over for higher-paying roles in favor of several white hires who she in turn was responsible for training in their new duties. “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. “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. As I allege in my lawsuit I faced sexual harassment as a Black woman while working other events at Chateau. 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.”
