The Hollywood Foreign Press Association aimed for a voting pool of 300 for this year’s awards.
Meanwhile, TheWrap has learned that Frank Russo, a veteran member of the group and advocate for reform, was expelled on November 22 after a brief investigation into allegations that he had sex with actors including George Clooney and Ana de Armas. The interview was misused.
Rousseau, an HFPA member for 26 years who wrote for several French-language publications including Télégraphe and CineReview, was notified in October that she had used interviews from past press conferences with Hollywood actors for articles about recent films. had violated association rules by using citations without properly identifying the source.
TheWrap was shown the eviction letter sent to Russo on November 22 after he failed to appear before the board. In a letter Rousseau sent to the full membership that day, he stated that he did not attend the meeting because he feared he was being railroaded. “I was given an opportunity to defend myself against these allegations before the board,” he wrote. “This ‘opportunity’ seems to be nothing but a well-planned ambush and another excuse for the Board to further humiliate and intimidate me. I agree [I] was intimidated by powerful lawyers hired by the HFPA, who have been instructed to ‘crush’ anyone who disagrees with the leadership.
In a statement to TheWrap, a representative for the HFPA said that Russo was expelled “after a careful and thorough investigation.”
“There is no place in the HFPA for anyone who engages in the gross abuse of professional standards of journalistic conduct,” the statement said. “This episode is further evidence that our reformed confidential reporting and investigative process works. It is frankly disappointing that instead of accepting responsibility for his admitted breaches, Mr. Russo has made false and malicious claims against his former colleagues.” Has chosen to spread the word – just like they threatened to try to bully the HFPA. Go.”
Russo, a well-known advocate for reform who spoke during the 2020 membership meeting about the need to diversify the association following the death of George Floyd, said in his letter to members: “It is clear that the leadership is using false rumors and unfounded Conspiracy to use charges. Get rid of the member who has done nothing but modernize and grow this organization.”
He declined to comment for this story.
The group did not accept any black members until early 2021, after a Los Angeles Times exposé publicized the lack of diversity. Lack of improvement and inclusion in self-treatment practices.
A spokeswoman for the group said the HFPA hired an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in Russo’s work. When the group was a nonprofit before its sale to Boehly’s Eldridge Industries last summer, disciplinary proceedings took months, not just weeks.
Another HFPA member, Sam Asi, was expelled this year after a rap investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct led to an internal investigation of the HFPA. The eviction reduced the ranks of groups just as it had promised to expand. Nomination voting for this year’s Golden Globes is now underway, with ballots returning on December 7th.
With just 200 voting members, the HFPA fell well short of its goal of increasing the voting pool to 300. That goal was confirmed by CEO Todd Bohli in an internal document presented to members on April 14 and obtained by TheWrap. At the time, TheWrap exclusively reported that the HFPA sought to add 200 additional voters in an effort to get back into the good graces of Hollywood studios and publicists. TheWrap reported at the time that Netflix, a major industry partner, was the leading voice calling for 300 voters as the minimum benchmark for legitimacy.
The HFPA acknowledged the shortfall in a statement to Therap on Monday, but did not give a reason: “The prior number of expansion to 300 voters was stated as a goal after the new venture between the HFPA and Eldridge began and It was planned. Industry. When the HFPA announced its final membership of 21 new electors in October 2021, the goal was to double the electorate from that previous 87 members (174 electors), but we instead A total of 200 voters were achieved.
The HFPA’s expansion plans were initially discussed at a general members’ meeting on April 4, with Bohli stating that the group would attract new voters from among international journalists recommended by film-festival directors. However, after it became clear that Bohli would take the association private and give up non-profit status, some international film groups such as the worldwide film-critic organization Fipressi recognized their members as non-member Golden Globe voters. I retracted from encouraging you to sign up.
In September, the HFPA announced the addition of 103 new international electors, none of whom would become official members. Remaining active members are eligible to receive a salary of $75,000 per year from Boehly’s Eldridge Industries, the parent company that now owns the HFPA. International voters only are eligible to vote.
Nominations will be announced on December 12 and the Golden Globes will take place on Tuesday, January 10.
