Actor Brendan Fraser was a Hollywood heartthrob in the late 90s and early 00s, with movies like The Mummy and George Of The Jungle topping the Box Office. However, he seemingly disappeared from the spotlight and now the actor has revealed the reason why.
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It appears the 90s favourite wasn't out of work by choice, but because he felt he's been 'blacklisted' by Hollywood after opening up in 2018 about historic abuse.
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The actor claimed that he was the victim of sexual abuse in Hollywood, alleging that former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) Philip Berk sexually abused him. He alleged that Berk had squeezed his ass and sexually assaulted him.
In an interview with GQ in 2018, Fraser claimed his career 'withered on a vine' after he was allegedly groped by Berk at a HFPA luncheon event back in 2003, leaving him feeling 'miserable', 'depressed' and 'reclusive'.
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The 53 year old said: "His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill.
"I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry... In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me."
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Berk, who is still a member of the HFPA, previously tried to describe the incident as a joke in his 2014 memoir, and in a recent statement given to GQ, he added: "His career declined through no fault of ours."
After his shocking revelation, Fraser received a written apology but claims he found himself shut out from the HFPA and the Golden Globes awards, leading him to wonder if he'd been blacklisted.
After this, the actor suffered personal setbacks including issues with his own health, divorce and the loss of his mother.
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However, he now seems to be coming back strong, with fans excited for his return to acting.
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His latest movie,The Whale, sees the actor playing a 600lb man trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame) years after he abandoned his family. For the role, Fraser is unrecognisable due to 'amazing prosthetics' that have moulded Brendan into his 600lb character.
The movie comes out later this year, but fans are already calling for Fraser to be Oscar nominated for his comeback role.
Fraser has never been nominated for an Oscar despite a storied career.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Brendan Fraser
Niamh Spence