Jaylen Brown: Beverly Hills’ rationale for event cancellation ‘incorrect’
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — On Saturday night, Beverly Hills police halted a brand event organized by Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown, citing the absence of a permit. However, on Sunday, Brown contested this assertion, labeling a statement issued by the city as “completely false” and highlighting that substantial financial resources invested in the event were squandered.
“I am offended by Beverly Hills for the statement they released, suggesting that we applied for something and were denied, yet proceeded anyway [and] acted in defiance,” Brown remarked following the NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome, where he made his debut as an All-Star starter. “I understand how to adhere to the rules. I am capable of following the guidelines. It just appeared that someone did not want our event to take place because it seemed I was the only one among many who faced a shutdown.”
Earlier on Sunday, the City of Beverly Hills issued a statement to The Boston Globe, indicating that a permit for the event had been denied.
“On Saturday, February 14, the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) responded to an event occurring at a private residence in the Trousdale neighborhood of the City. A permit had been requested and subsequently denied by the City due to prior violations linked to events at that location,” the statement read.
“Despite the denial of the permit, the organizers opted to continue with the invitation of hundreds of guests, fully aware that the event was not authorized. BHPD intervened and terminated the unpermitted gathering.”
Brown shared a video of his interaction with a Beverly Hills police officer on his social media, in which he sought clarification and later expressed, “I feel like we’re being targeted.”
After the game on Sunday, Brown, who has a sponsorship deal with Oakley and mentioned that the event was held at the residence of Oakley founder Jim Jannard, challenged the city’s narrative.
“That was not accurate,” Brown stated. “We did not require a permit because the homeowner, that was his property. We are family friends. He opened up his space for us, so we were not obligated to obtain one. We never applied for a permit. … I did not have to pay for the house or anything. They simply allowed us to use it. I only covered the expenses for the setup, but it resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted for an event that was intended to be positive.”
When asked if he believed the shutdown was racially motivated, Brown replied, “All I will say is that everyone else who organized something seemed to face no issues. It was 7 p.m. It wasn’t 10 p.m., it wasn’t 11 p.m., it wasn’t [midnight]. [It was] 7 p.m. … We were conducting a panel. We were engaged in positive activities. There was no disruption to anyone. [We weren’t] obstructing traffic. It’s All-Star weekend, it’s Saturday night and it’s 7 p.m. — what are we discussing?”
The event was intended to promote Brown’s performance brand, 741.
“It was hundreds of thousands of dollars lost,” he remarked. “A significant amount of effort was invested in this. A lot of work went into this, so I am more upset for my team. They dedicated considerable effort to create an activation for my brand, 741. We collaborated with Oakley.
“So it leaves a negative impression for me here in L.A. during All-Star weekend. It’s incredibly distracting for you to even have to ask me about this when we should be discussing basketball, but yesterday was not ideal.”
Brown mentioned that Jannard was contemplating legal action against Beverly Hills.
“The owner appeared quite upset,” Brown noted. “He is considering filing a lawsuit because it’s his property. They have hosted multiple events there without any issues. He mentioned having conducted four or five events even that week, and there had never been a problem.”
