Philip Berk's wife Ruth Greenberg must have some reaction to the claims by Brendan Fraser about Berk groping him.
Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk became the reason Brendan Fraser won't attend Golden Globes 2023. The actor announced he has a long history with HFPA, so he won't attend the award event organized by them. Well, if his claims are true, then it makes sense that he would not want to attend the Golden Globes. So, who is this journalist who made such a deserving actor feel this way?
Philip Berk is an 89-year-old journalist and author from Cape Town. He has been a member of HFPA for more than 45 years and its president for over eight years.
He has been embroiled in many dramas several times. In 2021, he got expelled as the president by Golden Globe organizers when the board members got an email regarding Black Lives Matter, according to BBC. At that time, he wrote in an article that BLM is just a hate group of racist people. Such an insensitive comment in this 21st century from a person in this position was totally unacceptable.
Brendan Fraser spoke against Philip Berk in 2018. He claimed that Philip groped Brendan at a luncheon in Beverly Hills, California, in 2003 behind the Globes. When he made the public revelation during the Me Too movement in 2018, HFPA conducted an investigation but dismissed the case claiming it was an "unintended sexual advance." After four years, Brendan's movie "The Whale" is being nominated for Golden Globes, but he won't attend as he doesn't want to be labeled a hypocrite.
Who Is Philip Berk Wife Ruth Greenberg?
Ruth Greenberg is the wife of Philip Berk, and the couple has been married for over 68 years.
Ruth is an American woman, and she met Philip while he was working as a waiter in the Catskills.
They got married on June 20, 1954, in Temple Beth El in Hollywood. The couple has four children together. They are: Alexander Berk, Melanie Berk, Ann Berk, and Benjamin Berk.
With the allegations made by the actor against Philip, many fans believed that the HFPA president was not straight. However, since he is married to a woman and they have four kids, those speculations are not true. Moreover, Philip strongly denies the groping allegations also. He said it was just a misunderstanding by Brendan and nothing ever happened between them.
There are no photos of his wife in the public domain and her other details are also kept hidden.
Philip Berk and Brendan Fraser Case, What Happened?
Philip Berk is accused of groping Brendan Fraser in 2003 in Beverly Hills, California. He only spoke about this in 2018 during the Me Too movement.
When asked for details, Fraser said, "His left-hand reaches around and grabbed my cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill and like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat, and I was going to cry." The incident made him frightened and depressed.
On the other hand, Philip Berk describes this incident in his own words. He mentioned in his memoir that he placed a hand on Fraser's hindside during a hug, and it was more of a jest. He claims Fraser's version is a total fabrication.
After an internal investigation by HFPA, the case got dismissed. But Brendan has not forgotten this history after all these years. As a result, he won't be attending the Golden Globes Award, returning on January 10, 2023.
Philip Berk Wiki
Philip Berk is a famous South African journalist from Cape Town. He was born on February 13, 1933 and has been in the entertainment industry for a long time.
The controversial journalist has served as a member of HFPA for over 45 years. He got expelled as its president after the insensitive comment on his article about BLM.
He is also an author and teacher. He has written many books, and some of them are "With Signs and Wonders - My Journey from Darkest Africa to the Bright Lights of Hollywood", "Letting the Light In," "Thank You for Sharing," "Mountain's Stillness," "River's Wisdom," and many more.
According to Wikipedia, the controversial author Philip was the reason why Brendan got "blacklisted" from Hollywood. Regardless of all the controversies and allegations, Philip Berk is a talented and hard-working individual who spent his entire life as an entertainment journalist.
