Cosmopolitan says Meek Mill welcome at resort, denies racist charge

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas says the rapper Meek Mill, turned away by security Saturday afternoon, is still welcome at the resort. The resort contends Mill was turned away for safety reasons related to a full-capacity Marquee Dayclub.

Two days after rapper and members of his entourage were were turned away by a Cosmopolitan security official, the hotel has issued a statement concerning the series of events involving Mill as he arrived to see rapper DJ Mustard.

In an emailed account issued on behalf of The Cosmopolitan, the hotel explains that Marquee Dayclub was at Clark County fire-code capacity Saturday afternoon. Las Vegas police officers had earlier been summoned to manage the large crowd. When the club was notified of Mill’s arrival, the security staff responded that the rapper would not be allowed into the venue because of the existing capacity issues. Mill showed up about 3:30 p.m.

Arrested for what????? #Cosmopolitanvegss pic.twitter.com/5OvmGBrXKv

— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) May 26, 2019

The cosmopolitan hotel .... and it’s a few other hotels that be doing this to black entertainers because they don’t want too many blacks on they property! Vegas notorious for this too its not just me!!!! pic.twitter.com/HPySp2nh8h

— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) May 25, 2019

Mill pulled into the hotel and he and his team were told that access was not permitted. The hotel’s statement was that this was the second time Mill had been informed he would not be permitted to enter the property.

The video posted on Mill’s Twitter page does not show that capacity issues were cited by Cosmopolitan security, and the official who turned him away told him only that the hotel’s vice president (who is security vet and former Metropolitan Police Department officer Dave Logue) would be reaching out.

After initially declining to address the Mill incident, citing company policy not to comment on legal matters, the company issued the following:

“At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the safety and security of our guests is our top priority. The recent situation regarding Meek Mill related to a matter of security, not race, and any reports citing otherwise are false. We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment, with zero tolerance for discrimination. Under different circumstances, Meek Mill would be welcomed to the resort, but not at the compromise of his personal safety and the safety of our guests.”

Cosmopolitan reps have not answered questions Monday in emails and texts as to why the hotel waited two days to issue that statement.

Mill argued during the incident, and in a series of Twitter posts, that he was being turned away because he is a black rap artist. His New York-based attorney, Joe Tacopina, has claimed the hotel has black-listed certain rap artists. The website TMZ also reported, citing a Cosmopolitan source, that Mill was turned away because of a previous fight with security guards at the hotel (which Tacopina denied ever happened).

Tacopina on Sunday threatened litigation against the hotel. He disputed The Cosmopolitan’s claims in his own statement Monday night:

“The assertion that The Cosmopolitan denied Meek because of capacity concerns at Marquee Dayclub is outright false. In the recorded video, Meek also inquired about getting a meal at one of the hotel’s restaurants, yet their security team continued to deny Meek and said he would be arrested for trespassing regardless of location in the hotel premises. The Cosmopolitan’s conduct continues to be deplorable.”

Mill, a club headliner who once dated Nicki Minaj, is a resident DJ at Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell and is still listed to perform there on July 6.

NFL checking Elliott

More intel from the KIR (Kats Incident Report) …

According to Yahoo! Sports, the NFL is likely to review the incident involving Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott at Electric Daisy Carnival on May 18. Elliott allegedly lowered his shoulder and knocked over a security officer after a verbal dispute with a woman identified as his girlfriend outside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway festival grounds about 3 a.m.

The security guard declined to press charges as Elliott was handcuffed, then released.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to review the arrest report and video of the incident, according to the online publication. The NFL is concerned Elliott, the league’s top rusher and a Pro Bowl selection last season, violated terms of the league’s personal conduct policy. Elliot has served a six-game suspension in 2017 for alleged physical abuse against an ex-girlfriend.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said last week he did not expect the NFL to discipline Elliott. But this case is clearly not settled, and Cowboys fans are likely questioning the Las Vegas, “What happens here, stays here,” ad campaign. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Trance party

“Famtastic,” an afternoon counterpart to producer-headliner Anthony Cools’ uncensored nighttime show, has opened at Cools’ eponymous theater at Paris Las Vegas.

As the name indicates, “Famtastic” is an all-ages foray into Cools’ hypnosis-comedy act. The show opened Thursday, running 3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and stars hypnotists Steve Falcon and AnnaRose Einarsen. Cools is marketing the two shows as “naughty nights, delightful days.”

The “Famtastic” show joins Jeff Civillico’s Wednesday afternoon “Comedy in Action” as the theater’s family offerings; the schedule for “Sex Tips” is unchanged. That show runs daily at 7 p.m. daily (dark Wednesdays), 9 p.m. Mondays with an 11 p.m. performance Saturday.

Cools, in no small feat, is the longest-running hypnotist headliner in Las Vegas, marking his 15th anniversary in March. His venue was once the check-in lounge for tour buses stopping at the hotel.

“I remember setting up for the first time, and some suits walking through the place,” Cools recalls. “One said, ‘What’s all this?’ “The second one said, ‘Nothing, it’ll be gone in a few weeks.’ Ha!”

A big feat

Adventurous ex-Major League slugger Jose Canseco still has one seat left on his Sasquatch Expedition. You might remember, or not, that Canseco has invited interested parties to go on a hunt for Sasquatch with him in an RV. There is a possibility of finding Sasquatch. There is a certainty you will never forget this experience. Call Canseco’s business manager, life navigator and column fave Morgan Strelow at 702-374-3735 for info …

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.