‘My mother didn’t raise a hypocrite’
Brendan Fraser has said he will not attend the Golden Globes next year if he is nominated for an award.
The actor is enjoying a remarkable comeback, having received critical acclaim for his performance in his new film, The Whale.
In the A24 film, Fraser stars as a 600-pound middle-aged man named Charlie who tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter Ellie.
Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation at this year’s Venice Film Festival and is widely tipped to take home the Best Actor award at next year’s Oscars.
But despite being tipped for success come awards season, there is one ceremony he has made clear that he won’t be attending, even if he’s nominated – the Golden Globes.
In 2018, Fraser alleged that he had been groped and assaulted in 2003 by Philip Berk, a former president and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that stages the Golden Globes.
“I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Brendan told GQ this week. “No, I will not participate.”
He continued: “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.”
The WhaleBerk has always maintained the claims were a “total fabrication” and that he had been joking with the actor.
Following an investigation into the incident, Fraser was reportedly asked to sign a statement saying that the “evidence supports that [Berk’s behavior] was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.”
He refused to sign the statement, and says the HFPA has still not apologised.
Aside from the Golden Globes, Fraser does intend to campaign for award recognition for The Whale.
He said: “I owe it to myself. I owe it to the filmmakers. I know I owe it to those fans who paid to come and see me and stand in line in the sun and, you know, all of that. I owe it to my kids. This is my shot.”
You can read his full interview with GQ here.
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