HFPA controversy: NBC will not air the next Golden Globes
Hollywood celebrities are calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) over diversity issues. Tom Cruise has returned his Golden Globe awards, while NBC confirmed it wouldn't air the show next year. Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo, Ellen Pompeo, and Scarlett Johansson have criticized the lack of Black members in its ranks, along with accusations of sexism. Netflix and Amazon Studios have also boycotted the HFPA.
HFPA, which conducts the Golden Globe awards, has been constantly criticized for lack of diverse membership. They also have a history of snubbing work of Black artists. Among their 87-member group, not a single person is Black. It has been like that since 2002. Further, in March, an ex-HFPA president allegedly referred to Black Lives Matter as "racist hate movement." He was later fired.
The ire against HFPA started when LA Times exposed the expelled president's distasteful remarks. Netflix, Amazon Studios, WarnerMedia and its subsidiaries previously declared they would not work with HFPA. And, now Cruise has returned all his Golden Globe trophies he won for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay praised the Hollywood icon on Twitter.
Meanwhile, NBC has announced a temporary end to their decades-long relationship with the HFPA. The network confirmed that it wouldn't air the Golden Globes in 2022. "We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right," the team said.
Mark Ruffalo, who won a Golden Globe this year, laid into the HFPA, saying that he "cannot feel proud or happy about being a recipient of this award." "It's discouraging to see HFPA resist the change that is being asked of them from many of the groups that have been most disenfranchised by their culture of secrecy and exclusion," said the three-time Oscar nominee.
Additionally, Scarlett Johansson joined her Avengers co-star in decrying the HFPA's actions. She said that she has "faced sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment." The Academy Award nominee has also condemned the Golden Globes, saying it "was legitimized by the likes of Harvey Weinstein." She has urged other stars to step back from the organization.
"It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences. The HFPA is an organization that was legitimized by the likes of Harvey Weinstein to amass momentum for Academy recognition and the industry followed suit," the Lucy actress said.
