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Philip Berk
Philip W. Berk (born February 13, 1933) is an American former film industry executive, journalist, and film critic. He served for eight years as president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and was an influential member of the organization for several decades. However, two scandals, where Berk sexually assaulted actor Brendan Fraser in 2003 and criticised Black Lives Matter in 2021, led to his expulsion from the association.
Philip Woolf Berk was born to a Jewish family on February 13, 1933, in Cape Town, South Africa.
In 1955, Berk graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1954, Berk married Ruth Greenberg, and they have four children.
Berk worked as a journalist and produced international events as a freelancer. He worked as a writer for publications in Malaysia and South Africa, and was the film critic of the B'nai B'rith Messenger, a Jewish newspaper. In the 1990s, Berk served as secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Berk was a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for 44 years and served terms as the organization's president and treasurer.
Berk taught journalism at Cleveland High School in Reseda California. He was the editor of the school newspaper and also taught a Cinema class for many years.
In 2014, Berk angered members of the Hollywood Foreign Press after he published a memoir titled With Signs and Wonders - My Journey from Darkest Africa to the Bright Lights of Hollywood, which detailed the inner workings of the organization and told stories of some of his colleagues. After the book was published, Berk took a six-month leave of absence from the organization.
In 2018, actor Brendan Fraser accused Berk of having groped his buttocks and perineum after a luncheon in 2003. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association commissioned an internal investigation, which concluded that while "Berk inappropriately touched Mr. Fraser, the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.” Officials asked Fraser to sign a joint statement about the matter but would not share the complete findings with him. Several publications and social media users interpreted that Fraser was blacklisted from Hollywood because of his accusation against Berk, which Berk denied. After returning to acting with The Whale in 2022, Fraser declined to attend the 2023 Golden Globe Awards ceremony due to a lack of reconciliation or apology regarding his assault accusations. Berk has described Fraser's account as a "total fabrication"; in his 2014 memoir, he admitted to having pinched Fraser's backside "in jest".
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Philip Berk
Philip W. Berk (born February 13, 1933) is an American former film industry executive, journalist, and film critic. He served for eight years as president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and was an influential member of the organization for several decades. However, two scandals, where Berk sexually assaulted actor Brendan Fraser in 2003 and criticised Black Lives Matter in 2021, led to his expulsion from the association.
Philip Woolf Berk was born to a Jewish family on February 13, 1933, in Cape Town, South Africa.
In 1955, Berk graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1954, Berk married Ruth Greenberg, and they have four children.
Berk worked as a journalist and produced international events as a freelancer. He worked as a writer for publications in Malaysia and South Africa, and was the film critic of the B'nai B'rith Messenger, a Jewish newspaper. In the 1990s, Berk served as secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Berk was a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for 44 years and served terms as the organization's president and treasurer.
Berk taught journalism at Cleveland High School in Reseda California. He was the editor of the school newspaper and also taught a Cinema class for many years.
In 2014, Berk angered members of the Hollywood Foreign Press after he published a memoir titled With Signs and Wonders - My Journey from Darkest Africa to the Bright Lights of Hollywood, which detailed the inner workings of the organization and told stories of some of his colleagues. After the book was published, Berk took a six-month leave of absence from the organization.
In 2018, actor Brendan Fraser accused Berk of having groped his buttocks and perineum after a luncheon in 2003. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association commissioned an internal investigation, which concluded that while "Berk inappropriately touched Mr. Fraser, the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance.” Officials asked Fraser to sign a joint statement about the matter but would not share the complete findings with him. Several publications and social media users interpreted that Fraser was blacklisted from Hollywood because of his accusation against Berk, which Berk denied. After returning to acting with The Whale in 2022, Fraser declined to attend the 2023 Golden Globe Awards ceremony due to a lack of reconciliation or apology regarding his assault accusations. Berk has described Fraser's account as a "total fabrication"; in his 2014 memoir, he admitted to having pinched Fraser's backside "in jest".