NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Brendan Fraser, whose performance in 鈥淭he Whale鈥� has made him a likely awards candidate this year, says he won't attend the Golden Globes in January if he's nominated.
In 2018 a former president of the organization behind the Globes. Fraser said the incident took place at a Beverly Hills, California, luncheon in 2003. Berk, a member from South Africa, was expelled from the HFPA last year after calling Black Lives Matter 鈥渁 racist hate movement.鈥�
after the organization was plunged into scandal over ethical indiscretions and the revelation that the group then included no Black voting members. Many stars, publicists and studios said they were boycotting the Globes. Earlier this year, the HFPA, after reforms,
But Fraser won't be there.
鈥淚 have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,鈥� Asked whether he'll be involved with the ceremony if nominated, Fraser said, 鈥漀o, I will not participate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because of the history that I have with them," Fraser added. 鈥淎nd my mother didn鈥檛 raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.鈥�
In Darren Aronofsky's 鈥淭he Whale,鈥� which opens in theaters Dec. 9, Fraser plays a reclusive English teacher living with obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter. He's nominated for outstanding lead performance at the upcoming and is widely considered a likely best actor nominee at the Academy Awards.
After an internal investigation, the HFPA concluded that Berk 鈥渋nappropriately touched鈥� Fraser, who in 2003 had recently starred in the acclaimed drama 鈥淭he Quiet American." But the HFPA said it 鈥渨as intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.鈥� Berk remained a member of the group until his expulsion in 2021.
鈥淚 knew they would close ranks,鈥� Fraser told GQ. 鈥淚 knew they would kick the can down the road. I knew they would get ahead of the story. I knew that I certainly had no future with that system as it was. ... I think it was because it was too prickly or sharp-edged or icky for people to want to go first and invest emotionally in the situation.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
