In the early hours of November 5, 2025, at the Estadio Nacional in Lima, Guns N’ Roses performed before a sea of fans. Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, one of their most devoted followers quietly worked in the kitchen. The band was staying at the Marriott in Miraflores, and among the team assigned to their care was Peru-based chef Richard Pérez Cuzcano, who had served at the hotel for more than ten years.
According to local media, Pérez prepared meals for Rose and the band during their stay. A lifelong fan of Guns N’ Roses, he seized the moment and asked Rose for a photo. Rose obliged. But the cost was high: within hours the chef was dismissed for violating the hotel’s strict policy forbidding staff-guest photographs or interactions outside their assigned duties.
Pérez later shared a message on Instagram that struck a chord with many:
“I was the chef of the restaurant, I took a picture with Axl Rose himself after cooking for him. Yesterday I was fired for breaking that rule. What if it was worth it? It was worth it and will be worth it until my last days.”
His post also included a photo of the two and lyrics from “November Rain,” capturing a moment he had dreamt of since childhood. Despite the job loss, he insisted the experience had been priceless.
The story rapidly found traction online. Many rallied behind Pérez, criticizing the hotel’s decision as overly harsh. Social-media comments pointed to the irony of a fan giving his hero a gift — in this case, a personalized knife — only to be punished for the interaction.
Hotel spokespersons did not respond to immediate requests for clarification. But the broader conversation has since opened up: Where is the line between employee professionalism and human connection? And is a lifelong dream worth a job? For Pérez, the answer is clear: the dream came first.
