The city of Beverly Hills has issued a statement clarifying what it acknowledges was incorrect information posted on social media by the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) this past weekend.
The matter involves an event hosted by Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown on Feb. 14 at the Trousdale Place estate of Oakley sunglasses founder James Jannard. The 18,000 square-foot Jannard property sits on nearly two acres and features a distinctive, Brutalist-inspired concrete and steel design.
The event was shut down by the city, and a BHPD statement posted on social media the next day read:
“On Saturday, February 14, the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) responded to an event taking place at a private residence in the Trousdale neighborhood of the city. An event permit had been applied for and denied by the city due to previous violations associated with events at the address. Despite the fact that the permit was denied, organizers still chose to proceed with inviting hundreds of guests knowing that it was not allowed to occur. BHPD responded and shut down the unpermitted event.”
Brown spoke about the incident to reporters at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome following the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15, where he made his first appearance as a starter.
During the post-All-Star Game interview, Brown expressed concerns about the actions of BHPD.
“I don’t think BHPD made the right call there, and, you know, the statement they put out was not accurate,” he said. “We did not file for a permit, because the owner of the house said we didn’t need one … He’s done events there before. And, you know, this was still the result. It seemed like somebody just made a phone call and wanted to shut it down.”
Brown stated that the event was for his sportswear brand, 741. He is also an Oakley brand partner. He described the gathering as a pop-up panel discussing issues such as culture and the future of creative control.
“[It was] a bunch of different people that were just there to just talk about positivity in the community,” he said.
The incident gained traction in the media over the weekend after a video was posted on X showing Brown speaking to a BHPD officer who arrived at the event to enforce its shutdown.
James Jannard’s son Jamin, who manages the home for his father, told the Courier in a statement that the property had never received a violation of any kind, nor did they apply for a permit and have it denied.
“It is very unfortunate that Jaylen Brown was unable to hold his private panel at our property with us,” Jamin said.
The city’s statement, issued on Feb. 19, acknowledges the error and includes an apology:
“Upon further internal review, the city has determined that its prior public communication contained inaccurate information. Specifically, no permit application was submitted nor denied for the event and the residence does not have any prior related violations on record. The city takes full accountability for the internal error that resulted in the inaccurate statement being distributed and is working to ensure it does not happen again.
“The city’s previous statement about the weekend event at the Trousdale home was inaccurate, and on behalf of the city, I would like to apologize to Jaylen Brown and the Jannard family,” said City Manager Nancy Hunt-Coffey in the statement.
It should be noted that the city is nonetheless standing by its decision to shut down the event.
As the statement notes, “The city has a responsibility to its residents and neighborhoods to ensure adherence to established regulations for events held at private residences. These are designed to support the safety and welfare of neighbors and attendees. City staff observed circumstances that are believed to be city code violations and for that reason alone, the event was ended.”
Although exact details about Brown’s event are not readily available, a review of city regulations does indicate that a public assembly permit is required for events attended by over 50 people. Additional permits may be needed for temporary generators, certain temporary tents, valet parking, heating or cooking appliances, the legal reservation of parking during loading and unloading and more.
Brown stated in multiple reports that he spent considerable sums on the event’s “build-out,” but did not provide more information about what the build-out entailed.
For its part, the city has expressed a desire to put the matter to rest. Its statement concludes, “Beverly Hills commits to explore opportunities for collaboration with the Jannard family and Jaylen Brown on future community-focused events.”
