Brendan Fraser Vs Golden Globes: Why He Won’t Be Attending Award Show Despite Big Nomination

Brendan Fraser, 54, is sticking it to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association by skipping the 2023 Golden Globe Awards on January 10. The histrion is really nominated for his first-ever Globe this year, for Best Actor successful a Motion Picture Drama for his critically acclaimed show in The Whale. But Brendan’s already confirmed he’s not attending the grant amusement due to the fact that of his analyzable past with the HFPA, who big the Globes and ballot connected the nominees and winners.

“It’s due to the fact that of the past that I person with them. And my parent didn’t rise a hypocrite,” helium said successful GQ’s 2022 Men of the Year issue. “You tin telephone maine a batch of things, but not that,” Brendan added.

Brendan Fraser astatine ‘The Whale’ premiere successful NY connected November 29 (Photo: Shutterstock)

Brendan’s play with the Globes stems from erstwhile helium was allegedly sexually assaulted and groped by erstwhile HFPA president Philip Berk astatine a 2003 luncheon astatine the Beverly Hills Hotel. The George of the Jungle star faded distant from the spotlight aft the alleged incident, due to the fact that helium felt “something had been taken distant from me.” 15 years later, Brendan opened up astir what happened astatine the luncheon to GQ writer Zach Baron in a February 2018 interrogation titled “What Ever Happened To Brendan Fraser?”

“I felt ill,” Brendan said. “I felt similar a small kid. I felt similar determination was a shot successful my throat. I thought I was going to cry. I felt similar idiosyncratic had thrown invisible overgarment connected me,” helium added. Brendan claimed that helium rushed retired of the country and told his then-wife, Afton Smith, astir what happened erstwhile helium got home. But helium ne'er went nationalist with details astir the alleged incidental until the GQ interview due to the fact that helium “didn’t privation to contend with however that made maine feel, oregon it becoming portion of my narrative.”

Berk denied and disputed Brendan’s claims and remained HFPA president until his firing successful April 2021, aft helium promoted an nonfiction that called the Black Lives Matter question a “racist hatred movement.” According to Brendan, Berk wrote a missive to the histrion erstwhile helium came guardant astir the alleged incidental that read, “My apology admitted nary wrongdoing, the accustomed ‘If I’ve done thing that upset Mr. Fraser, it was not intended and I apologize.’ ” Brendan told GQ helium became “depressed” aft Berk’s denial. “I was blaming myself and I was miserable—because I was saying, ‘This is nothing; this feline reached astir and helium copped a feel.’ That summertime wore on—and I can’t retrieve what I went connected to enactment connected next,” helium said.

Brendan Fraser astatine the Palm Springs International Film Festival connected January 5 (Photo: Shutterstock)

The HFPA is nary alien to controversy. In 2021, a Los Angeles Times investigation noted that the HFPA had nary Black members and that determination were “numerous allegations of ethical and fiscal conflicts,” per GQ. NBC yet pulled the broadcast, and the 2022 Golden Globes were held without immoderate televised coverage. But the Globes are backmost this twelvemonth and Brendan is up for 1 of the biggest awards of the night. His chap Best Actor nominees include Austin Butler for Elvis, Hugh Jackman for The Son, Bill Nighy for Living, and Jeremy Pope for The Inspection.

Before Brendan scored his archetypal Golden Globe information connected December 12, the Crash star confirmed that he’s not attending the ceremony. “I person much past with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I person respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Brendan said successful the GQ 2022 Men of the Year issue, adding, “No, I volition not participate.” When asked if helium believes immoderate of the HFPA’s promised reforms aft their diverseness scandal, Brendan told GQ, “At the moment, no. Maybe clip volition archer if they’re going to…I don’t cognize what they’re going to do. I don’t know.” The Mummy star besides claimed that the HFPA inactive hasn’t apologized for the alleged 2003 intersexual battle incident.

Brendan could inactive triumph the Golden Globe for Best Actor successful a Motion Picture Drama, adjacent though helium won’t adjacent beryllium astatine the ceremony. Brendan’s show successful The Wale, wherever helium plays an obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter, played by Sadie Sink, is poised to gain him his first Academy Award nomination, which volition beryllium announced connected January 24. That means there’s a bully accidental we’ll beryllium seeing Brendan astatine the 2023 Oscars!

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