Brendan Fraserwill not be attending theGolden Globe Awards, even if he receives an acting nomination for his much-buzzed-about performance inThe Whale.
“I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” he added, citing the nonprofit organization that votes for the Golden Globe awards.
“It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that,” Fraser said.
Brendan Fraser forGQ.Andreas Laszlo Konrath/GQ
The Mummystar has claimed that former HFPA President Philip Berk sexuallyassaulted him in the summer of 2003, while at a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel — an alleged incident Berk, 89, disputes. Fraser has said he believes he was blacklisted in Hollywood partly due to the aftermath of the alleged incident.
According to the actor, the assault happened when Berk reached out to shake Fraser’s hand on his way out of the hotel. “His left handreaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around,” Fraser claimed toGQin 2018.
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Brendan Fraser on the cover ofGQ.Andreas Laszlo Konrath/GQ
The alleged incident left Fraser overcome with panic and fear. “I felt ill,” he said at the time, recalling his emotions after he removed Berk’s hand. “I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry. I felt like someone had thrown invisible paint on me.”
Berk did not previously respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment about the alleged incident, but hasdenied the assault ever happenedtoThe New York Times.
“Mr. Fraser’s version is a total fabrication,” he also said in a statement toGQ,acknowledging that he wrote a letter to Fraser about the alleged incident. “My apology admitted no wrongdoing, the usual ‘If I’ve done anything that upset Mr. Fraser, it was not intended and I apologize.’ "
The HFPAexpelled longtime member Berkfrom the organization back in April 2021, after he sent an email to his fellow members calling theBlack Lives Mattermovement a “racist hate movement” and criticizing BLM co-founderPatrisse Cullorsfor buying a home in Topanga Canyon, California.
The South Africa-born ex-member had been part of the organization for 44 years and once served eight terms as president.
RELATED VIDEO: Brendan Fraser Says Golden Globe Ex-President Sexually Assaulted Him and Derailed His Career
Meanwhile, the Golden Globes are officially coming back to NBC in 2023 after thenetwork declined to air the awards showearlier this year amid controversy.
The show’s television comeback comes after the HPFA was widely criticized for its lack of representation among its members after theLos Angeles Timespublished an exposé in February 2021, in which it was revealed there were zero members of the organization that were Black.
At the time, a representative for HFPA told theLA Timesthat the group was aware of the issue and is “committed to addressing” it.
“We recognize the HFPA’s commitment to ongoing change and look forward towelcoming back the Golden Globes to NBCfor its landmark 80th Anniversary in January 2023,” Frances Berwick, chairman of Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a September press release.
Added Helen Hoehne, president of the HFPA: “We are thrilled to announce the return of the Golden Globe Awards on NBC and to hosting the ‘Party of the Year’ for audiences around the world who have been waiting for its return. It’s great to be back at the Beverly Hilton for the must-see celebration recognizing the best in film and television. The HFPA remains committed to important changes and supporting programs which prioritize diversity, inclusion and transparency.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
