Brendan Fraser: will he attend Golden Globes, what did The Whale actor say about Philip Berk, what happened?

Brendan Fraser will not attend January’s Golden Globe Awards ceremony, stating that his history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and an alleged sexual assault he suffered from one of its members was the reason.

This is not the first time the awards show has found itself in hot water - last year’s ceremony nearly didn’t take place at all - it was widely boycotted after it was revealed that the HFPA had not had a new Black member since 2002. In the event, the ceremony was held privately, (NBC refused to broadcast the show) and attendance was limited.

Next year marks the ceremony’s 80th year, and the award show will be broadcast on NBC and is expected to feature many celebrity guests - but Brendan Fraser won’t be there.

Why won’t Brendan Fraser attend the Golden Globes?

Fraser has publicly stated that he won’t attend the awards ceremony even if he is nominated after claiming that he was sexually assaulted by the former president of the organisation that runs the awards.

The actor claimed in 2018 that Philip Berk, who had been a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for more than four decades, and served eight terms as its president, groped him at a lunch in Beverly Hills in 2003.

After Fraser made the allegation, Berk called Fraser’s account “a total fabrication”, although he did say that he had written Fraser an apology over the incident at the time. An internal investigation found that Berk had inappropriately touched Fraser, but it had been intended as a joke.

Speaking about the alleged incident, Fraser said: “I was blaming myself and I was miserable – because I was saying, ‘This is nothing; this guy reached around and he copped a feel.’ … it made me feel reclusive.”

Berk remained an HFPA member following the allegation and investigation - he was only expelled from the organisation after emailing an article which called Black Lives Matter a ‘racist hate movement’ to fellow members.

When Fraser was asked if he would attend the awards ceremony if he was nominated, he said: “No, I will not participate. 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.”

Will Brendan Fraser be nominated for a Golden Globe?

The HFPA will announce the full list of award nominees on Monday 13 December, and it is currently unclear whether Fraser will be on the list. However, he has been tipped to be nominated for several major awards, including an Oscar for his role as Charlie in drama film The Whale.

Fraser plays Charlie, a reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. He received a six-minute standing ovation for his role at the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky who also directed the dark dramas Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream.

The Golden Globes has two best actor categories - one for drama films and one for musicals and comedies. If Fraser were to be nominated it would be in the drama category. Other actors who are also expected to be nominated include Austin Butler for Elvis, Hugh Jackman for The Son, Bill Nighy for Living, and Will Smith for Emancipation.

When is the Golden Globes 2023?

The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock in the US at 5pm Pacific time on Tuesday 10 January 2023 (1am on Wednesday 11 January UK time). The ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.