Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Considers Lawsuit After Beverly Hills Police Shut Down Party

Brown says the incident caused significant financial and reputational harm during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown is considering legal action against the city of Beverly Hills after police shut down his private party during NBA All-Star Weekend. Brown says the incident, which the city later admitted was based on inaccurate information, caused him significant financial losses and reputational damage. The city has apologized, but Brown says the apology is not acceptable.

Why it matters

This incident highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement and high-profile individuals, especially Black athletes, who feel they are unfairly targeted or subjected to biased treatment. It also raises questions about the ability of celebrities and public figures to host private events without undue interference from authorities.

The details

According to reports, Brown's private party at a residence in Beverly Hills was shut down by police on Saturday evening over apparent city code violations, even though the city later admitted no permit application had been submitted and there were no prior violations on record. Brown says the event cost at least $600,000, with him spending $300,000 and his sponsors contributing an additional $300,000 to $500,000. Brown feels he was embarrassed and offended by the incident, which he says caused significant financial and reputational harm by preventing him from discussing leadership and culture with other NBA stars during All-Star Weekend.

  • The party was shut down by police on Saturday, February 18, 2026 around 7 p.m.
  • The city of Beverly Hills issued an apology on Monday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Jaylen Brown

A five-time NBA All-Star player for the Boston Celtics.

Nancy Hunt-Coffey

The city manager of Beverly Hills who issued an apology on behalf of the city.

Marc Spears

An ESPN reporter who interviewed Jaylen Brown about the incident.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Nancy Hunt-Coffey, City Manager of Beverly Hills (City of Beverly Hills statement)

“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. 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.”

— Nancy Hunt-Coffey, City Manager of Beverly Hills (City of Beverly Hills statement)

“I wanted to enjoy myself, and I felt that got taken away. I was embarrassed. If it happened to me, I'm sure it happened to a bunch of people in the past. I look at it like that. There are probably a bunch of people that don't scream, falls on deaf fears, which is unfortunate. I'm not sure what the conclusion is. ... Even the statement that they put out, they included some stuff that wasn't true, even in the apology. So I don't think the apology is acceptable. I lost a lot of money [with our] partners, et cetera. People were making assumptions that we didn't go through the proper protocols. So, all around it's just a bad taste in my mouth. I'm extremely offended. My team is offended. I'm not sure what the conclusion is going to be. All I know is it's some (expletive).”

— Jaylen Brown (ESPN)

What’s next

Jaylen Brown is expected to make a decision soon on whether he will pursue legal action against the city of Beverly Hills over the incident.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between law enforcement and high-profile individuals, especially Black athletes, who feel they are unfairly targeted or subjected to biased treatment. It also raises questions about the ability of celebrities and public figures to host private events without undue interference from authorities, even when they have followed proper protocols.