While Brendan Fraser continues on the awards track for his performance in The Whale, you won’t see him at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.
While the controversial Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that runs the event, has vowed to clean up its image, the actor is standing fast.
As reported, Fraser claimed to GQ in 2018 that he was sexually groped in 2003 by Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk, an event that contributed to a depressive spiral for the one-time box office champ. Berk, who was fired years later for making racial insensitive remarks, denied the accusations.
In 2021, the HPFA itself was targeted by a Los Angeles Times exposé that revealed the group didn’t have a single journalist of color in its ranks; that same year, Berk was fired for his emailed comments, not the Fraser accusations. The organization saw its partner NBC walk away, and held a non-broadcast, celebrity-free event in 2021.
To GQ‘s November issue, Fraser says he received a “non-apology” from the group after his accusations went viral and triggered an internal investigation into Berk’s behavior.
Now, even if he’s nominated for the January 2023 event — which seems likely — Fraser vows he “will not participate,” regardless of the fact Berk is no longer with the HFPA. “I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser said, adding, “…my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”
The Doom Patrol star also relayed that while sharing his story was difficult, he is grateful it resonated with some fans he meets, who share that his story helped them deal with their own trauma.
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