“Saturday Night Live” comedian Leslie Jones issued an explosive tweet, without any explanation, accusing the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles of mistreating black people.
“Wow was such a great night at the BET awards. But then had THE WORST STAY @RitzCarlton DO NOT STAY THERE!! THEY DONT LIKE BLACK PEOPLE!!” she wrote Monday night.
That was two days ago. The “Ghostbusters” star hasn’t been heard from since. The Ritz and its sister hotel JW Marriott Los Angeles both responded to Jones’ tweet asking for more information.
We’re very sorry to hear this. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service to all. Please DM us & we’ll look into this right away.
— The Ritz-Carlton (@RitzCarlton) June 27, 2017
We will be happy to have this addressed, if you wish. If you would like us to proceed, please dm the requested info. -Ari
— Marriott Rewards (@MarriottRewards) June 27, 2017
According to the New York Daily News, Jones’ rep is nowhere to be found either. The Brandman Agency, the hotel chain’s PR agency, said it has also made multiple attempts to reach Jones.
“Diversity and inclusion are part of the fabric of The Ritz-Carlton’s culture and operations,” the agency said. “We remain committed to providing an environment where all feel welcome.”
Hotel manager Curtis Kent told the Daily News that staff was investigating the allegation. Apparently, they haven’t gotten to the bottom of it either.
Meanwhile, Ms. Jones’ damning tweet continues to hang in the Twitterverse like rotting fruit. While many criticized the comedian for playing the race card haphazardly, others applauded her for speaking out against discrimination. Some even threatened a boycott of Ritz-Carlton hotels.
I’m not going to say something didn’t happen to Jones during her stay. I wasn’t there. I’m also aware that discrimination is still a real problem in this country and that it’s entirely possible Jones was mistreated due to her race. But the way she has gone about alerting the world of this purported misdeed is irresponsible. The things celebrities say can have an immediate impact on businesses and people’s lives. Her unsubstantiated tweet did nothing but add anger, racial hatred and confusion to an already simmering political climate. With the growing skepticism and downright apathy that come with the era of anonymous sources and fake news, Jones has done little to help her cause.
Ironically, she said during an interview prior to her hosting the BET Awards that she’s “tired of everybody being sad and angry.”
“I want people to just downright laugh,” she told People magazine. “You can’t do the event without touching on certain things, but I’m trying to make it all funny. It’s really just about pulling the elephants out of the room and, actually, I’ll make the elephant in the room laugh about it.”
UPDATE: Jones has since emerged from her cave, though still no mention of the Ritz-Carlton incident.
How can you mend a broken heart 💔….
— Leslie Jones (@Lesdoggg) June 28, 2017
Jessica Chasmar 