After delivering a soulfull rendition of "America, The Beautiful" in Superbowl XLIX, John Legend decided to pullout from an earlier commitment set on Feb. 05 due to his deep convictions on women and LGBT rights.
The event, which R&B Grammy award winner John Legend was suppose to perform in, was hosted by L.A. Confidential Magazine and was to be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel that's owned by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. Legend's team immediately released a statement on the matter, which expressed the crooner's strong sentiment against the laws passed in the Sultanate, which violated the basic human rights of women and members of the LGBT community.
The L.A. Confidential Magazine event that would be held at the Pink Palace's ballroom in the hotel was supposedly a gala honiring Legend; an event that was would jumpstart the string of parties prior to the Grammys. The event organizers, on the other hand, respect Legend's decision but would continue with the celebration despite the absence of the guest of honor.
Earlier, the magazine was urged by organizations opposing the Brunei Sultan's inhumane laws to move the celebrations elsewhere. L.A. Confidential Magazine explained that moving the event from one venue to another just because of belief systems, which the magazine does not not adhere to, might lead to greater financial and economic lost in the future, not only for the hotel owner, but also for them and other organizations as well.
The law was passed earlier in 2014 that elevated the punishment for the crime of homosexuality from a 10-year imprisonment sentence to death by stoning. The law was inline with the sultan's prerogative of reinstating Sharia law for both Muslims and non-Muslims in Brunei. The law would later include the stoning of people convicted with adultery (which would be women). However, the implementation of the Sharia law draw flak not only from celebrities but also from the United Nations.
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