Tom Cruise is taking a stand against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The actor returned his three Golden Globes on Monday in protest to the organization, which has received backlash over its record on diversity and transparency, according to ET. The HFPA is comprised of 90 journalists who vote for Tinseltown's second-biggest annual film and television awards.
The organization came under fire in February after reports emerged that there were no Black members included in its group of international journalists. Shortly after, HFPA released a statement committing to "ensuring our membership is reflective of the communities around the world who love film, TV and the artists inspiring and educating them," according to ET.
"We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds, and we will immediately work to implement an action plan to achieve these goals as soon as possible," the statement added.
However, several celebrities have since spoken out against the organization. Among them was Scarlett Johansson, who claimed to have been subjected to sexist remarks by members of the HFPA.
"As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past, this has often meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment. It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences," Johansson said in a statement to Variety.
"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," she continued. "Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organization, I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole."
Mark Ruffalo also voiced his disdain for the HFPA in an interview with Deadline.
"It’s discouraging to see the HFPA, which has gained prominence and profited handsomely from their involvement with filmmakers and actors, 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," he said.
"Now is the time to step up and right the wrongs of the past. Honestly, as a recent winner of a Golden Globe, I cannot feel proud or happy about being a recipient of this award."
Meanwhile, Netflix has stated that it will not be working with the organization until it can implement change.
"Like many in our industry, we’ve been waiting for today’s announcement in the hope that you would acknowledge the breadth of issues facing the HFPA and provide a clear roadmap for change," the streaming service’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter to the HFPA’s Leadership Committee that was obtained by Deadline.
Sarandos went on to explain he did not believe the organization's proposed new policies "will tackle the HFPA’s systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate." In light of this, Netflix would be "stopping any activities with your organization until more meaningful changes are made."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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