George Clooney's hotel boycott over Brunei's anti-gay death law gets support: 'I will never step foot in one of his hotels'

Suzy Byrne
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment

George Clooney is calling for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei over a new law in that country that imposes death for gay sex or adultery — and he’s getting support.

The controversial Sharia law has been on hold for four years, but, once put into effect on April 3, will make the punishment for Brunei citizens who committed those so-called crimes “death by “stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay, Clooney wrote in a piece for Deadline. “Let that sink in. In the onslaught of news where we see the world backsliding into authoritarianism this stands alone.” (Homosexuality is already illegal in the country — this law makes it a capital offense.)

While groups like Amnesty International are calling on Brunei to “immediately halt” implementing the penalties, Clooney is striking at Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s finances by boycotting hotels owned by the leader’s Brunei Investment Agency. They are The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in Ascot, UK, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. “Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery,” Clooney wrote. (The Oscar winner admitted he has stayed at many of the hotels named, even recently, because he “hadn’t done my homework and didn’t know who owned them.”)

George Clooney is calling for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei over the Sharia law that will allow <span>allow death by stoning for “crimes” including gay sex and <span>adultery</span>.</span> (Photo: Getty Images)
George Clooney is calling for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei over the Sharia law that will allow allow death by stoning for “crimes” including gay sex and adultery. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hollywood mobilized against the sultan’s two L.A. hotels in 2014 when this law was first passed with stars including Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon Osbourne and Jay Leno lending their support in person at the protest or through social media. However, Clooney pointed out, “Like all good intentions, when the white heat of outrage moves on to the hundred other reasons to be outraged, the focus dies down and slowly these hotels get back to the business of business.” Miley Cyrus, Courtney Love, Kristen Stewart and Lady Gaga have attended recent events at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Sultan of Brunei owns the Dorchester Collection hotel group, which oversees hotels including Hollywood favorite The Beverly Hills Hotel. (Photo: Getty Images)
The Sultan of Brunei owns the Dorchester Collection hotel group, which oversees hotels including Hollywood favorite The Beverly Hills Hotel. (Photo: Getty Images)

The renewed hotel boycott is getting support in just a few hours since he announced it. Lance Bass is all in, vowing, “I will never step foot in one of his hotels.”

Jamie Lee Curtis called Clooney “a good man doing the right thing, fighting an unjust and barbaric law.”

Here are some of the other reactions we’ve seen:

And GLAAD applauded the star’s efforts.

Though former game show host Chuck Woolery’s post, sharing a Breitbart article on the topic, brought out critics.

The replies were the typical anti-Hollywood ones, including:

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