Tom Cruise has reportedly returned his three Golden Globe awards amid the outcry against the HFPA for its failure to reform its lack of diversity.
The news that the action star had given back his awards was confirmed by Deadline on Monday.
Cruise won Best Actor for Jerry Maguire in 1997, Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July in 1990 and Best Supporting Actor for his role in Magnolia in 2000.
No thanks: Tom Cruise has reportedly returned his three Golden Globe awards back to the HFPA amid the outcry against the the organization
The 58-year-old Mission Impossible star is the latest in a growing list of actors and companies including Netflix, Amazon and NBC that are protesting the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
NBC said Monday that will not air the Golden Globes in 2022.
In a statement, the network said it believes the press association is committed to reform.
‘However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right,’ the network said.
‘As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes. Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023.’
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has come under fire following an investigative report by The Los Angeles Times that recounted the organization’s questionable record on diversity – including, presently, no Black members among its approximately 90 voting members.
Cruise won Best Actor for Jerry Maguire in 1997, Best Actor for Born on the Fourth of July in 1990 and Best Supporting Actor for his role in Magnolia in 2000
Canceled: NBC said Monday that will not air the Golden Globes in 2022. In a statement, the network said it believes the press association is committed to reform. ‘However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right,’ the network said
Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos wrote a letter to HFPA saying ‘We don’t believe these proposed new policies – particularly around the size and speed of membership growth – will tackle the HFPA’s systemic diversity and inclusion challenges’
The press association has pledged to thoroughly reform, and last week approved a plan to, among other things, diversify its membership. But that hasn’t stopped several studios from threatening to pull out of the Globes.
Last week, Netflix cast doubt on its future involvement with the HFPA.
‘We don’t believe these proposed new policies – particularly around the size and speed of membership growth – will tackle the HFPA’s systemic diversity and inclusion challenges, or the lack of clear standards for how your members should operate,’ Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos wrote in a letter to the group.
Warner Bros. earlier Monday said it would cease holding screenings and other events for the HFPA until it made more substantial changes.
‘For far too long, demands for perks, special favors and unprofessional requests have been made to our teams and to others across the industry,’ WarnerMedia executives said in a letter. ‘We regret that as an industry, we have complained, but largely tolerated this behavior until now.’
The outcry against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has also included strong statements from Time’s Up, a group of 100 Hollywood publicity firms and stars including David Oyelowo, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson.
In a statement released Thursday, the 36-year-old actress, who has been nominated for five Golden Globes, accused the HFPA of tolerating sexism and urged others in the film industry to boycott the organization unless significant internal changes are made.
‘As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows,’ Johansson stated.
Speaking out: The outcry against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has also included strong statements stars including David Oyelowo, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson
‘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.’
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’.
The Globes, produced by Dick Clark Productions, have suffered ratings drops in recent years but still rank among the most-watched award shows – usually third to the Oscars and the Grammys.
The 78th Golden Globes, held February 28, attracted 6.9 million viewers, a 63% drop from the 2020 telecast, watched by 18.4 million.