Philip Berk, former president of the group that puts on the Golden Globes, is now expelled from the association after sending out a racist email calling Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement”
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association notified members Tuesday afternoon that Berk was out.
“Effective immediately, Phil Berk is no longer a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” the HFPA’s board said in a statement
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The Los Angeles Times broke the story about Berk’s email, saying it was sent out Sunday to members and staff of the HFPA, as well as the group’s general counsel and chief operating officer.
According to the Times, the message contained comments calling BLM a “racist hate movement” and described the movement’s co-founder Patrisse Cullors as a “self-proclaimed ‘trained Marxist.’”
Berk, 88, served as the HFPA’s president for 8 terms.
This incident is the latest in a string of embarrassments for the organization that chooses each year’s Golden Globe winners.
As previously reported, the HFPA came under fire earlier this year for not having a single Black member among its ranks of 87 international journalists.
The report came out after the LA Times published an explosive investigative report on the HFPA detailing allegations of self-dealing and questionable ethics.
Following the backlash, members of the group made a televised statement announcing its renewed commitment to diversity.
Last month, the group said it aimed to add at least 13 Black journalists to its membership ranks.