What Occurred In The Case Of Brendan Fraser And Former HFPA Reporter Philip Berk?

After the Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser accused Philip Berk of harassing him, Berk, a former reporter for the HFPA, began to earn a poor reputation in the media.

He alleged that a former leader of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organisation that is responsible for sponsoring the Golden Globes, had sexually touched her in 2003. The HFPA is the organisation that is in charge of presenting the Golden Globes.

Brendan asserts that the HFPA has refuted his charges that improper actions were engaged in. In an article that was published earlier this year in GQ, Fraser claimed that in 2003, Philip, who was then the president of the HFPA, had groped him.

In addition to this, Fraser said that the organisation had covertly initiated an internal investigation while at the same time attempting to excuse Berk’s behaviour by asserting that it was “just a joke.” However, he was not happy about it.

Philip Berk
Philip Berk

Who exactly is this Philip Berk? Wikipedia Bio

Philip Berk is a former reporter with the HFPA. He was born on February 13, 1933 in Cape Town, South Africa, to a South African family that belonged to the middle class. He is getting up there in age and is almost 86.

The UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television awarded him a diploma upon completion of his studies there. In addition to that, he served as the President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the past (HFPA). Berk has been a member of the organisation for the past 44 years, and he has served as president on eight separate occasions.

In a similar vein, Berk has a net worth of approximately $8.5 million dollars in United States currency.

Fraser asserted that one of the main reasons he withdrew from public view was due to the fact that he was supposed to have met with Berk. In a statement issued to Us Weekly at the time, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) said, “The HFPA stays strong against harassment and the type of behaviour portrayed in this piece.”

Through the years, a strong professional connection has been kept with Brendan, including the announcing of the Golden Globe candidates, attendance at the event, and participation in press conferences.

Philip Berk, a former HFPA reporter, was kicked out of the organisation after the Brendan Fraser case

Philip Berk was kicked out of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisation that is responsible for organising the Golden Globe Awards. The journalist was accused of sending abusive and discriminatory emails to the actor Brendan Fraser, who works in Hollywood.

In addition, Philip lambasted Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, for acquiring a home in Topanga Canyon, California. As of the year 2022, he had been a member of the HFPA for more than forty years when he was dismissed from his position for making insensitive remarks based on the colour of his skin.

The Hollywood Reporter has made public a statement from the board of directors of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which states that “as of right now, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”

The Los Angeles Times obtained a copy of the email chain and stated that Berk received a lot of criticism from his fellow members for his Sunday email. The criticism was directed toward Berk’s decision to send the email on Sunday. Berk was notified by the HFPA’s COO that his behaviour was “not suitable,” and one of the organization’s members called the email that Berk sent “vile” and “a roaring disgrace.”

Berk, in his answer, explained that all he sought to do was illustrate the hypocrisy that exists all around us. He did not send it with any ulterior motives and merely wanted to make sure everything was clear. However, he feels guilty about having made that choice.

Philip Berk Wife And Family

Alexander Berk, Melanie Berk, Ann Berk, and Benjamin Berk are the couple’s four children. Philip Berk and his wife, Ruth Greenberg, have been married for more than a year and have been blessed with four children.

They exchanged vows on June 20, 1954, and have been living together as husband and wife for well over three decades now. Berk does not appear to be very active on any social media platform, which is one of the reasons why there is a lack of personal information on him. There is not a lot of information available regarding the journalist’s personal life, despite the fact that they are a journalist.

It appears that all of his children have grown up and are now leading independent lives in their own unique ways. Philip has not provided any additional information regarding his sons or grandchildren.

Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser Personal Life

After moving to Los Angeles, Fraser met fellow actress Afton Smith on July 4, 1993, during a BBQ hosted by Winona Ryder at her home. They tied the knot on September 27, 1998, and have since been blessed with three sons: Griffin Arthur Fraser, Holden Fletcher Fraser, and Leland Francis Fraser (born 2006). Following the sale of their home in Beverly Hills, California, for $3 million in April 2007, Fraser’s publicist revealed in December 2007 that the pair had decided to end their marriage and get a divorce. In addition to the $25,000 that he was required to pay each month for child support, the court ordered Fraser to make alimony payments to Afton in the amount of $50,000 a month for a period of 10 years or until she remarried, whichever came first. These payments were to end in January 2019. At the beginning of 2013, Fraser filed a petition with the court requesting a reduction in the amount of alimony and child support payments he was required to make. He stated that he was unable to satisfy the annual requirement of $900,000, and Smith accused Fraser of concealing financial assets. As of the beginning of February in 2018, Fraser has been residing in Bedford, New York.

In addition to being able to communicate in French, Fraser is also a member of the board of directors for FilmAid International. He is a skilled amateur photographer and has made use of a number of different instant cameras in films and television shows, most notably during his guest roles on the show Scrubs. On his first appearance, he used a Polaroid pack film; on his second visit, he used a Holga that was modified with a Polaroid back, which was a model that was exclusive to Japan. Fraser is recognised in the book “Collector’s Guide to Instant Cameras,” which he helped write. In addition to that, he is an exceptional amateur archer and has contributed his abilities to the series Texas Rising on the History Channel.

The physical demands of the stunts and movements that Fraser performed in his action and comedic roles eventually prompted him to endure many surgeries over the course of seven years. These procedures included a partial knee replacement, a laminectomy, and surgery on his vocal cords. In addition, he had a severe back injury when removing a downed tree in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (2012), which necessitated surgery as well as rehabilitation.

At a luncheon in the summer of 2003, Fraser claims that he was sexually attacked by Philip Berk, who was serving at the time as the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. These allegations were made in 2018. Because of the assault, his following divorce, and the passing of his mother, Fraser fell into a deep depression, which, in conjunction with his ongoing health problems, caused him to temporarily suspend his professional endeavours. Because Fraser spoke out about the sexual assault, many people, including magazines and users of social media, believed that she had been “blacklisted” from Hollywood. On the other hand, Fraser stated that he would not use the phrase and that he was unsure whether or not the incident was responsible for the decrease in his career. In an interview that he gave on the radio programme Sway in the Morning in 2019, Fraser stated, “I don’t think the HFPA really hold that much authority. This was not an official, this was a past president of that organisation which is essentially journalists.”

About Philip Berk

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association declared in February 2018 that it was looking into allegations made by actor Brendan Fraser that former HFPA president Philip Berk had sexually abused him. In a GQ interview, the Mummy star alleged that Berk had molested him in the summer of 2003. Fraser claimed that one of the reasons he left the spotlight was because of his supposed meeting with Berk. The HFPA issued a statement to Us Weekly at the time that said, “The HFPA stands firmly against sexual harassment and the type of behaviour portrayed in this article.” We’ve maintained a good working connection with Brendan throughout the years, and this has included announcing the Golden Globe nominees, going to the ceremony, and taking part in press conferences. Berk refuted Fraser’s allegations, saying, “This report allegedly contains material that the HFPA was previously unaware of, and at this time, we are examining additional details surrounding the incident.” “Mr. Fraser’s story is a complete lie, according to Berk, who spoke with GQ. My apologies was the standard, “If I have done anything that has upset Mr. Fraser, it was not intentional and I apologise,” which did not concede any wrongdoing.

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