Meek Mill Says He Was Turned Away From Las Vegas Hotel for “Trespassing,” Calls Out “Extreme Racist” Behavior
Meek Mill has said that he was denied entry to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and threatened by the venue’s security guards with arrest for “trespassing.” On Instagram, Meek said the venue was “going to extreme racist levels” with its alleged actions.
Speaking on the phone with Pitchfork, Meek Mill’s attorney Joe Tacopina said that Meek had gone to the Cosmopolitan hotel/casino earlier tonight (May 25) to attend a Mustard concert. Upon his arrival, however, Meek was met by the hotel’s security who told him that he would be subject to arrest for trespassing were he to step out of his car, Tacopina claimed.
Meek Mill shared footage of the alleged incident on his Instagram. The video shows the rapper speaking with two men who appear to be security guards for the Cosmopolitan. Meek asks, “How can you tell me I’m going to be locked up for trespassing?”
“So here’s the deal, right,” one of the men replies, “we’re a private property; at this time, with the information we have, we’re refusing to do business with you. We have the right to do that.”
Meek responds, “But what information?” Later, he says, “You’re not refusing to do business with me; you’re telling me I’ll be arrested if I don’t leave.”
The same man tells Meek Mill, “No, no, what we said was... we officially trespassed you.”
TMZ shared additional video of the alleged encounter. In TMZ’s video, the other of the two men tells Meek Mill, “If you do not leave these premises immediately, you will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor.” He also said, “Your subsequent return to these premises after being duly warned not to, will subject you to arrest for trespassing.”
Following the alleged events, Joe Tacopina wrote a letter to Anthony Pearl, general counsel and chief compliance officer for the Cosmopolitan. In the letter (obtained by Pitchfork), Tacopina wrote:
Mr. Pearl,
Please be advised the our firm represents performing artist Robert Williams, known professionally as Meek Mill. It has come to our attention that your hotel, through its security personnel, brazenly denied access to Mr. Williams without just cause. In fact, the incident of his exclusion was captured on a recording. And, evidenced thereby, despite inquiring as to the reason for his denied access, Mr. Williams was afforded no explanation whatsoever. Simply put, your security chief embarrassingly did not even know the reason for Mr. William’s denied entry.
Your hotel’s failure to provide a reason for singling our Mr. Williams is incredibly telling. In short, we have learned that the Cosmopolitan maintains a list of African American recording artists who should be denied access for no other reason than their culture and skin color. Such course of conduct constitutes discrimination per se, in violation of state and federal law, and exposes you to significant monetary damages.
In light of the foregoing, we urge you to promptly issue an apology to Mr. Williams and grant him immediate access. In the event you fail to heed this one and only warning, we intend to pursue all legal recourse against you.
When reached for comment, representatives for the Cosmopolitan wrote to Pitchfork: “As a matter of company policy, we do not comment on legal matters. Our guests’ safety and security always remains our top priority.” In a subsequent statement sent to Pitchfork on May 27, representatives for the Cosmopolitan wrote:
“At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the safety and security of our guests is our top priority. The recent situation regarding Meek Mill related to a matter of security, not race, and any reports citing otherwise are false. We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment, with zero tolerance for discrimination. Under different circumstances, Meek Mill would be welcomed to the resort, but not at the compromise of his personal safety and the safety of our guests.”
This article was originally on May 25 at 11:47 p.m. Eastern. It was last updated on May 27 at 5:48 p.m. Eastern.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
