The Hollywood Foreign Press Association released a statement following an email from the former president calling the Black Lives Matter organization “a hate movement.”
The LA Times published an article on Monday describing the email, which was reportedly sent on Sunday. According to the Times, former HFPA president and current member Phil Berk sent a message to members of the HFPA quoting an article calling the Black Lives Matter organization a “racist hate movement” and its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors. , termed a “self-proclaimed trained Marxist.” Several HFPA members have objected to the email.
In response to the Times article and the email from Berk, the HFPA board sent Variety the following statement: “Since its inception, HFPA has been committed to bridging cultural connections and creating greater understanding of different backgrounds through film and TV. The views expressed in Mr. Birch distributed articles are those of the author of the article and in no way reflect the views and values of the HFPA. The HFPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination and hate speech and finds such language and content unacceptable. “
In addition, tells a source close to the HFPA Variety that the board is discussing taking action against Berk and will continue to discuss this in the coming meetings. Representatives for Berk declined Variety‘s request for comment on the matter.
Berk’s email comes just under two months after controversy over the diversity of HFPA membership, after it came to light that the group had not had black members for over two decades. The HFPA also came under fire for paying large sums of money to members for serving on commissions and accepting lavish junket travel. The revelation sparked a wave of backlash aimed at the organization’s Golden Globes awards ceremony, with many celebrities posting on social media expressing their disappointment. The HFPA has since pledged to add at least 13 black members to its ranks.