Brendan’s abuse claims get rejected
Hollywood Foreign Press Association apologises, but says its former president groped the actor as a joke
Brendan Fraser says the Hollywood Foreign Press Association rejected his sexual harassment claim and tried to get him to sign a statement agreeing that he was groped by the organisation’s former president Philip Berk in 2003 as a joke.
In the new issue of GQ magazine, the actor says he spoke with an independent investigator in April, which the foreign press group confirmed on Wednesday.
The HFPA, Fraser told GQ, then contacted him about signing a joint statement saying that the investigation found that Berk touched Fraser inappropriately but “the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.”
The statement also included an apology from the HFPA, which runs the Golden Globe Awards. Fraser didn’t sign, however, because, “I didn’t get the joke.” He said he was the only one who knew how his body was touched and he didn’t care about the motivation.
Citing witness confidentiality, the group didn’t show the report itself to Fraser or to Berk, the men confirmed to GQ. “They’re kind of behaving like wolves in sheep’s clothing about it, saying, ‘Oh, we want him to heal.’ Well, the first step in that direction would be: What am I healing from? Can I please see this report? What is it?” Fraser said.
“They commissioned an investigation. They received their report. And they’re not giving any details about it, and they’re not giving up the report itself.”
Berk told GQ he had faced no disciplinary action as a result of the investigation and was told that the statement would absolve him of any wrongdoing. Berk is currently an active, voting member in the group.