I felt like there was a ball in my throat. Fraser's account is disconcertingly reminiscent of reports from women in Hollywood who have spoken out about experiencing professional retaliation after being harassed or assaulted. Active members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association vote for the Golden Globe Awards, which means that "the Globes are overseen by an extremely small number of people," considering that in comparison, the Academy Awards are voted on by over 9,000 people. . Fraser said that the alleged assault left him feeling "ill," "like a little kid," and "like someone had thrown invisible paint on me." Legal Statement. Fraser first revealed his #MeToo story in the February issue of GQ : In 2003, at a HFPA luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Fraser said Berk reached out to shake his hand but then proceeded to . The actor, 49, who can be seen next month in FX's Getty family drama Trust,says the experience messed with his sense of who I was and what I was doing. Work, he says, withered on the vine for me. All rights reserved. From 'Nymphomaniac' to 'Little Ashes': Unsimulated Sex Scenes in 36 Films, I didnt want to contend with how that made me feel, or it becoming part of my narrative, Fraser said. Philip Berk, a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the past 44 years and an eight-term past president of the group behind the Golden Globe Awards, has been expelled from . The actor immediately left the luncheon and went home to his wife, who he said he told about the interaction. . Held in 1944, the first Golden Globes Awards were, according to Vox, an "informal luncheon" at the Beverly Hills Hotel. In the midst of a crowded room, Fraser says, Berk reached out to shake the actor'shand, but instead grabbed his butt. "Maybe I am over-reacting in terms of what the instance was. I thought I was going to cry.. "Pregnancy Nose" Reveals Are Sweeping TikTok. Fraser is not the only male star taking action over assault claims. There's many reasons, but was this one of them? Up to 100 PR firms also indicated that they were disappointed with the HFPA's lack of commitment to "transformational change. In addition to setting up a hotline to report violations, the HFPA planned to increase membership over the course of 18 months, in addition to "creating a list of [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] consultants.". I dont know if this curried disfavor with the group, with the HFPA. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage). Golden Globes voters in tumult: Members accuse Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. The email itself was an article from conservative commentator David Horowitz's Freedom Center website, FrontPage Mag, although it didn't include a link or a citation and was simply copy-pasted into the body of the email. Vote for your favorite beauty products now! For transparencys sake, along with Hoehne, the current HFPA board includes Gabriel Lerman, Sabrina Joshi, Yukiko Nakajima, Scott Orlin, Kirpi Uimonen, Henry Arnaud, Barbara de Oliveira Pinto, Barbara Gasser, Tina Johnk Christensen, Greet Ramaekers and Armando Gallo. The 49-year-old Fraser told GQ about the alleged incident at a 2003 luncheon in the Beverly Hills Hotel. And he starts moving it around. The HFPA, meanwhile, declined to comment for GQ's story. Over the years weve continued a positive working relationship with Brendan, which includes announcing Golden Globe nominees, attending the ceremony and participating in press conferences. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times in February 2021 revealed that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association pays out almost $2 million to its members annually. According to Fraser, former HFPA President Phillip Berk assaulted him following a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association," the HFPA board added in a statement released yesterday (April 20). Actor Brendan Fraser accused the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of sexually assaulting him in 2003, the latest in a string of people to speak out in the #MeToo. Berk tells the magazine the HFPA never retaliated against Fraser: His career declined through no fault of ours., Am I still frightened? He did have his reps ask the HFPA for a written apology, telling GQ that the HFPA agreed they would never allow Berk in a room with Fraser again. I just know what my truth is.". In a new GQ profile titled What Ever Happened To Brendan Fraser?,the actor remembers being groped byPhilip Berk in the summer of 2003. The actor said that the incident made him reclusive and he retreated from public life. The New York Times notes that the HFPA's history of insensitive behavior coupled with their seemingly shady financial dealings may make it difficult for the Golden Globes to make a comeback, especially if another awards show takes their place. Berk says he just "pinched" the actor. Do I feel like I need to say something? Have I stopped myself? Leslie Grace Disagrees with Claim 'Batgirl' Was 'Unreleasable': There Was 'Potential for a Good Film' The 88-year-old Berk, who served eight terms as HFPA president and was a member of the association for 44 years, sent an email sharing the post with the association's members, staff, general . This report includes alleged information that the HFPA was previously unaware of and at this time we are investigating further details surrounding the incident.. If you need help purchasing a product directly from Allure, go to our FAQ. Jonathan Majors on Oscar Favorites, Bad Reviews, and the Road Trip That Made Him Realize He Was a Star, The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, How Michael B. Jordans Love of Anime Shaped Creed III Fight Scenes, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. Fraser, through his representatives, asked the HFPA for an apology, which Berk says he wrote, but added: "My apology admitted no wrongdoing, the usual 'If I've done anything that upset Mr. Fraser, it was not intended and I apologize. And he starts moving it around. Varietyadds that there's infighting among active HFPA members in terms of "how to reform and how to respond to its critics. 7 Things to Know About This Abuse Tactic. Even after speaking about his allegations, Fraser still feels uneasy. head of Hollywood Foreign Press . According to The Guardian, Cruise isn't the only entertainer speaking out. Meher Tatna is president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which created the Golden Globe Awards in 1944. . Hoehne was one of the trio of HFPA leaders who took the stage at the less-than-stellar hybrid Globes on February 28 to address the growing discontent with a pledge of basically trust us. Which few did, to put it mildly. Actor Brendan Fraser has accused a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that presents the annual Golden Globe Awards, of groping him at an event in 2003. I was blaming myself and I was miserablebecause I was saying, This is nothing; this guy reached around and he copped a feel. That summer wore onand I cant remember what I went on to work on next.. Its investigation concluded that "the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke" and suggested issuing a joint statement with Fraser. After Fraser spoke publicly about the incident in 2018, HFPA conducted an investigation into the incident. Soria died Friday at his home in Los Angeles, according. Frasers version is a total fabrication, he also said in a statement to GQ, acknowledging that he wrote a letter to Fraser about the alleged incident. The former "Mummy" star said that he panicked. Out in the cold with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, WarnerMedia and other studios and networks, plus essentially boycotted by top flacks and hence their top-tier clients, the HFPAs new president plans to begin a charm offensive to convince Hollywood stakeholders that things trulyhave changed for the better at the organization. [Work] withered on the vine for me. Now the new president is hoping for a clean slate. Absolutely. Soon after NBC decided to cancel the 2022 broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards, actor Tom Cruise joined the boycott. The actor claims that Philip Berk former president of the HFPA, the organization that hosts the Golden Globes inappropriately touched him in 2003. . With less than 100 members, HFPA accepts less than five new members every year, and "any member can veto a newcomer's application in voting done by secret ballot," reports The Washington Post. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. He rushed home and told his wife about the encounter, but was afraid to go public with the incident. A new profile of Fraser by GQ asks the same question, and adds more context to the answer: In an interview with the magazine, Fraser spoke publicly for the first time about his experience of sexual assault, alleging that he was groped by former Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) president Philip Berk in the summer of 2003. However, he said the note did not admit anything. In response, both MRC and NBC, both of which are involved in the production and broadcasting of the Golden Globe Awards, demanded Berk's expulsion from the HFPA, and two days after sending the email Berk was removed from the HFPA after 44 years of membership. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me., The HFPA responded late Thursday, saying in a statement that the group "stands firmly against sexual harassment and the type of behavior described in this article. This report includes alleged information that the HFPA was previously unaware of and at this time we are investigating further details surrounding the incident.. I felt like a little kid. However some, like Alexander Nevsky, joined because they were "just plain curious.". Brendan Fraser is the latest actor to come forward with his story of sexual assault in the wake of the #MeToo and Times Up movements. Then, he said, the HFPA asked him to sign a joint statement saying the investigation found that Berk touched Fraser inappropriately but "the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.". Fraser went home and told his then-wife, Afton Smith,what happened. "The Whale" star, 53, won't be attending the 2023 Golden Globe Awards next year even if he's nominated for his role in the highly-praised drama. His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And after being broadcast on the radio for 14 years, on February 26, 1958, the Golden Globe Awards were televised for the first time. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. On his way out, he met Berk, whose organization votes on the Golden Globes. In 2020, Norwegian entertainment journalist Kjersti Flaa sued the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after she was denied membership into the group. ", In response to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's inability to come up with effective reforms, both Netflix and Amazon stated that they would be boycotting the 2022 Golden Globe Awards. Fraser said the moment still haunts him, especially, for instance, when he sees Berk on the television during the Golden Globes. I felt ill. Helen Hoehne will be the next President of the HFPA, it was revealed today. April 19, 2021 3:30 PM PT. . He claims in 2003, he was sexually assaulted by Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. (Reps for Fraser and the HFPA did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment). Absolutely, he says. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is a group of just 87 critics, and the LA Times report said the group has no Black voting members. In February, Fraser told GQ that in 2003, as he was leaving a luncheon held by the HFPA at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Berk stopped him and shook his hand. IE 11 is not supported. Fraser said that he spoke with an independent investigator in April, which the HFPA confirmed. Fraser's story is a reminder that while sexual misconduct is disproportionately experienced by women, it can happen to anyone, regardless of gender or sexuality. Since May, members have shown their commitment to creating a reimagined HFPA. Members ended up returning the watches in response to the criticism regarding the gifts, while USA Films claimed that "the studio got the watches for free and didn't realize how expensive they were.". "By the end of 2020, the association was collectively paying nearly $100,000 a month to members serving on more than a dozen different committees." But the question now is whether or not this is the sound of HFPA's death rattle.
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