Babyface and his fiancee Nicole Pantenburg, who planned to get married at the Hotel Bel-Air, reportedly have made a quick change.
- May 16, 2014
AceShowbiz - Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds reportedly has switched his wedding venue following controversy over Shariah penal code enforced by the Sultan of Brunei. The Sultan recently announced that he would continue applying Islamic law which imposes heavy penalties such as death by stoning for homosexuality and adultery among others.
As reported by TMZ, the singer and his fiancee Nicole Pantenburg made a quick switch after learning of the story. The couple, who planned to hold the wedding ceremony and the reception at the Hotel Bel-Air owned by the Sultan, reportedly has chosen another venue in Beverly Hills area.
Some Hollywood stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and Stephen Fry have joined protest against the implementation of the law. Earlier this month, Jay Leno joined other protesters and spoke outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, also owned by the Sultan. "What is this, Berlin, 1933? This doesn't seem far off what happened in the Holocaust," the former "Tonight Show" host said. "Come on people, it's 2014. Evil flourishes when good people do nothing."
Besides, some events which were planned to take place at the hotel, such as Leno and his wife's Global Women's Rights Awards and The Motion Picture & Television Fund's event "Night Before the Oscars", were moved to other locations. Richard Branson also said on Twitter that none of his employees would stay at hotels owned by Dorchester Collection which is backed by the Sultan.
