Brendan Fraser refuses to attend Golden Globes after sexual assault allegations against Philip Berk
'The Whale' star claimed the former HFPA president groped him in 2003
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brendan Fraser revealed he will not attend the Golden Globe Awards even if he receives a nomination for his outstanding performance in "The Whale."
The 53-year-old actor is on the GQ cover for its 27th annual Men of the Year issue, and explained that he "will not participate" in the ceremony after allegations that the former Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) president Philip Berk groped him in 2003.
"I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association," he remarked.
The HFPA is the organization that stages the Golden Globes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BRENDAN FRASER'S PERFORMANCE IN 'THE WHALE' RECEIVES ANOTHER STANDING OVATION, ACTOR MOVED TO TEARS
"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 noted to GQ.
Fraser made the claims that Berk assaulted him nearly 20 years ago during a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel and caused him to be blacklisted from Hollywood.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brendan Fraser revealed he refuses to attend the Golden Globe Awards even if he receives a nomination for his performance in "The Whale." (John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)
In GQ’s "What Ever Happened to Brendan Fraser?" 2018 interview, the "Mummy" actor detailed the alleged incident:
"His left hand reaches around grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brendan Fraser mentioned that for the past few years he has been attending fan conventions and is thrilled that people line up to see him. (Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images)
The alleged incident left a "reclusive" Fraser feeling frightened and depressed, he admitted.
In an additional 2018 interview with GQ, Berk denied the allegations and said Fraser’s version of the story is a "total fabrication."
Brendan Fraser made the claim that former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk assaulted him nearly 20 years ago during a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel and caused him to be blacklisted from Hollywood. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
However, in Berk’s memoir, he recounted the incident, in which he placed his hand on Fraser’s butt during a hug, as a jest.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In April 2021, Berk was publicly expelled from the HFPA after he shared an article and called Black Lives Matter a "racist hate movement" in an email to the membership, according to the media outlet.
Meanwhile, during the GQ interview, Fraser mentioned that for the past few years, he has been attending fan conventions and is thrilled that people line up to see him.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At the events, he recalled fans asking him about his previous work in "The Mummy," HBO Max’s "Doom Patrol" and more movie projects.
Fraser shared that he learned to recognize a more "specific kind of connection" from his more "vulnerable" fans, who subtly praise him for speaking out against Berk.
He noted that "it’s actually possible to ask for help… I do want them to know… if they admire or esteem me for whatever special reason, that if that kind of thing had happened to me, it could happen to anyone too. And we’re all just… we’re all just people," Fraser said during his GQ interview.
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"I can spot someone across the room who I know has something to say, something to share, who has had something that happened… someone hurt them," he told GQ.
The Golden Globe Awards are slated to return Jan. 10, 2023.