And he starts moving it around. He previously. Berk, who is still a member of the HFPA, also did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment but has denied the assault ever happened to The New York Times. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, How a Minnesota hockey league helped a Ukrainian refugee feel at home, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Trump met with early primary state GOP leaders, London police apologize as officer admits to dozens of rapes, Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to 7 sexual assault charges in London, Writer files upgraded lawsuit alleging Trump "forcibly raped" her. LOS ANGELES Brendan Fraser is joining the #MeToo movement, coming forward on Thursday with allegations of sexual assault by an ex-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. September 8, 2021 4:57pm Courtesy HFPA Fighting to stay alive, the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association has elected a nearly 20-year veteran to lead the group into what may or may. And he starts moving it around," the actor said. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. Berk is still a member of the HFPA. Absolutely. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. But Fraser said the HFPA refused to share the report. ", Fraser recalled that when he left the room, he saw a police officer but could not bring himself to report what happened. 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. After the incident, Fraser's representatives asked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for a written apology, and although Berk acknowledges that one was written, he insisted that his "apology admitted no wrongdoing." The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Fraser previously accused former HFPA President Philip Berk of sexually harassing him at a luncheon in Beverly Hills in 2003, which Berk denies. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Eventually, he wasable to remove Berk's hand. Berk told GQ he was still an active voter with the HFPA and faced no disciplinary action. In a new interview with GQ, The Mummy star reveals he was. Through his reps, Fraser did request a written apology from the HFPA, and Berk told GQ that he did write Fraser a letter but never admitted any wrongdoing. '", Berk, who took a six-month leave of absence from the HFPA in April 2014 following backlash from his memoir but is still a member, denied the claim in an e-mail to GQ, saying: "Mr. Fraser's version is a total fabrication.". Brendan Fraser is sharing his own Me Too experience and says a 15-year-old assault may have contributed to the derailment of his career. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Absolutely," he said. Berk tells the magazine the HFPA never retaliated against Fraser: His career declined through no fault of ours., Am I still frightened? The actor believes one of the reasons his career hit a standstill was because of an alleged incident with Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hosts the Golden Globes. In the end, as one insider notes, "I don't think anyone will touch this with a 10-foot pole until they get their act together." 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. "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. / CBS News. the first of which spanned from 2003 . Fraser debated going public with the story but ultimately decided to remain silent out of fear of public humiliation and damaging his career. Golden Globes voters in tumult: Members accuse Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. "Pregnancy Nose" Reveals Are Sweeping TikTok. Absolutely., Berk responded to Frasers story by telling GQ it is a total fabrication. He admitted to writing a letter to Fraser about the incident but said his apology admitted no wrongdoing.. Do I feel like I need to say something? In the midst of a crowded room, Fraser says, Berk reached out to shake the actor'shand, but instead grabbed his butt. 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. People reports in his 2014memoirWith Signs and Wonders: My Journey from Darkest Africa to the Bright Lights of Hollywood,Berk recalled pinching Fraser's buttin jest.. 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. sexually assaulted him in 2003. . Related Then he went home and told his wife. Am I still frightened? In order to be considered, journalists are required to pay a $500 membership fee in addition to being based in Southern California while working for a foreign publication, publishing at least four articles a year. Berk, who has admitted to pinching Fraser's behind, denied that the incident went beyond that, saying, "Mr. Fraser's version is a total fabrication.". In the same interview, Fraser claimed that he was sexually assaulted by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, in 2003. What to Know About Michelle Wolf the 2018 WHCA Dinner Host, Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean LifeBut We Can Fix It. Berk says he just "pinched" the actor. In a new interview with GQ, The Mummy starreveals he was groped in 2003byPhilip Berk,a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The 49-year-old Fraser told GQ about the alleged incident at a 2003 luncheon in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Fraser then said he removed Berks hand and immediately left the event. In 1943, actress Argentina Brunetti and her husband Miro Brunetti, a foreign correspondent, co-founded the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association, which was renamed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1954 (via Golden Globes). In a new interview with GQ, "The Mummy" star alleges that the HFPA's Philip Berk assaulted him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the summer of 2003. But now that PR firms and entertainers are also standing up and voicing their disapproval with the organization, the tide may be turning for the HFPA. The HFPA, meanwhile, declined to comment for GQ's story. I haven't spoken to them in years, but they're my friends. 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.. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. said recently that after being sexually harassed, Meet the Sexual Assault Survivors Attending Trump's State of the Union, Terry Crews Reveals He Was Sexually Assaulted by a "High-Level" Hollywood Executive, What Is Sexual Grooming? The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has announced the re-election of Helen Hoehne to another term as president.According to the HFPA's press release, Hoehne won by "an overwhelming margin." "His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. Oscars 2023: Best Makeup and Hairstyling Predictions Scott. During a recent appearance on Howard Stern's SiriusXM talk show, Brendan Fraser continued to diss the Golden Globes. LOS ANGELES Brendan Fraser is joining the #MeToo movement, coming forward on Thursday with allegations of sexual assault by an ex-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. He also wrote about the incident in his memoir, according to People, but Berk said he pinched Fraser in jest.. 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. Absolutely. Berk recounted the incident in his memoir "With Signs and Wonders," but said he pinched Fraser's behind as a joke. I felt like a little kid. . And the pattern of men in power hurting the careers of those they have harassed or assaulted is in no way unique to the entertainment industry. "I felt ill. In 2020, Norwegian entertainment journalist Kjersti Flaa sued the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after she was denied membership into the group. I thought I was going to cry., After immediately leaving the luncheon, Fraser told his wife of the interaction but otherwise remained silent for fear of embarrassment and career damage. I felt ill, he said, recalling his emotions after he removed Berks hand. 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Miller Denies Allegation He Sexually Assaulted and Punched Woman While in College. Brendan Fraser Says Former HFPA President Sexually Assaulted Him and Derailed His Career In an interview with GQ, Brendan Fraser claimed that former Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Brendan Fraser says the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which runs the Golden Globes, pressured him to downplay his allegation that its former president, Philip Berk, groped him in 2003. Since 2012, the number of Syrian refugees alone has increased tenfold. Brendan Fraser is speaking out for the first time about his experience with sexual harassment in Hollywood. "), Letter aside, Fraser said, the experience "made me retreat. According to The Guardian, Cruise isn't the only entertainer speaking out. head of Hollywood Foreign Press . Absolutely. . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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., Fraser says the experience made me retreat. In an interview with GQ, he confessed, "His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around, Fraser told the magazine, recalling becomingovercome with panic and fear. The 2003 Iraq War resulted in some 200,000 to 250,000 civilian deaths, including over 16,000 directly killed by the U.S. military, and left more than a million homeless.The United States has created 37 million refugees around the world. Am I still frightened? In. 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.". 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The alleged groping occurred at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Ad Choices. This report includes alleged information that the HFPA was previously unaware of and at this time we are investigating further details surrounding the incident.. Scarlett Johansson has publicly stated that she will be taking a step back from HFPA-associated events, which she says have frequently involved "facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment." In 2014, former HFPA president Philip Berk revealed in his memoir that Nicole Kidman received a nomination for "Billy Bathgate" because she did a HFPA interview, while her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, did not and received no nomination as a result. "His left-hand reaches around grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. Market data provided by Factset. Actor Brendan Fraser accused the former president of theHollywood Foreign Press Association of sexually assaulting him in 2003, the latest in a string of people to speak out in the #MeToo and Times Up movements. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. CBS reports that in 2018, Fraser even asked to see the investigation's full report so he'd "know what I'm signing off on," but the HFPA has repeatedly refused to share its report. Winners included Paul Lukas, Jennifer Jones, and the film "The Song of Bernadette." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group behind the Golden Globes, has approved a new set of bylaws, in an effort to remedy the diversity and ethical issues that sparked. Why didn't Fraser go public? The HFPA stands firmly against sexual harassment and the type of behavior described in this article, the associated said in an official statement. Have I stopped myself? In an interview with GQ published Thursday, Fraser said that he was groped in 2003 by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. There have also been numerous claims that voters are easily swayed. I think it was. HFPA/GG will store your name and email address and use them to send the Weekly Globe newsletter. IE 11 is not supported. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. And as soon as the HFPA had done the bare minimum, they were back in NBC's good graces. An email sent Sunday by a former Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Allure may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with The wing was named for the HFPA international journalists based in Southern California who cover Hollywood and host the I thought I was going to cry," Fraser said. All Rights Reserved. "His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint," said Fraser. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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