Hollywood star Brendan Fraser is joining the #MeToo movement, with allegations of sexual assault by Philip Berk, former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) that organises Golden Globes ceremony.
In an interview with GQ magazine, The Mummy star alleged that Berk assaulted him at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the summer of 2003, variety.com reported on Thursday.
“His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around,” the actor said.
Berk recounted the incident in his memoir With Signs and Wonders, but said he pinched Fraser’s behind as a joke. According to Fraser though, it wasn’t a joke and he was overcome with fear and had to remove Berk’s hand.
“I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry,” he said.
He rushed home and told his wife about the encounter, but was afraid to go public with the incident as “I didn’t want to contend with how that made me feel, or it becoming part of my narrative”.
Fraser, through his representatives, asked the HFPA for an apology, which Berk said he wrote, but added: “My apology admitted no wrongdoing, the usual ‘If I’ve done anything that upset Mr Fraser, it was not intended and I apologise’.”
Berk, who took a six-month leave of absence from the HFPA in April 2014 following backlash from his memoir but is still a member, denied the claim in an e-mail to GQ, saying: “Mr. Fraser’s version is a total fabrication.
“The HFPA stands firmly against sexual harassment and the type of behaviour described in this article. Over the years we’ve continued a positive working relationship with Brendan, which includes announcing Golden Globe nominees, attending the ceremony and participating in press conferences.
“This report includes alleged information that the HFPA was previously unaware of and at this time we are investigating further details surrounding the incident.”
The actor said that the incident made him reclusive and he retreated from public life.
He questioned if the HFPA blacklisted him as a result, since he was rarely invited back to the Golden Globes after 2003, variety.com reported.
Fraser said he was emboldened to come forward by the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.