Spare a thought for the gilded Hollywood elites who were reportedly forced to endure traffic jams Sunday night as tightened security measures slowed traffic around the Golden Globe awards.
Deadline reports the slowdowns came with the bulk of the Beverly Hills police presence hidden behind the scenes but still carrying out their work.
There was a police perimeter with squad cars and motorcycles set up near the Hilton, 0.2 miles before its entrance, creating a black sedan and limo back-up for those arriving to the red carpet, the report states.
In the hours before the event started police initiated a lockdown in the streets around the venue.
No specific threat was reported however security measures were strictly enforced.
The Deadline story sets out as a result cars were backed up for more than 90 minutes due leading to the Beverly Hilton.
Post-arrival atmosphere at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Earl Gibson III/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images)
Every trunk was searched by hand and had a sniffing dog go over it too. Officers were apologetic to guests for the delays, and, despite the odd grumble, received unanimous compliance, Deadline stated.
Once at the Beverly Hilton, nominees, guests and media lined up beside guards with dogs as they entered the venue. Attendees reported multiple searches of women’s purses and bags and multiple badge scans for media.
“The Beverly Hills Police Department’s Intelligence Unit Detectives work closely with our neighboring police departments and with our federal law enforcement partners in sharing any information about planned protest activity,” the BHPD’s Lt. Reginald Evans told Deadline in a statement Sunday.
Jack Black and Ben Affleck at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. ( Michael Buckner/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty)
“At this time, we are not aware of any threats to the event or its attendees. We are, however, aware of world events.”
“We have staffed extra police personnel for the event, in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement agencies and private security companies,” Evans noted. “We look forward to another successful and safe Golden Globes.”