YESTERDAY GQ PUBLISHED a profile of long time actor Brendan Fraser entitled ‘What Ever Happened to Brendan Fraser?’
In the profile, Fraser makes allegations against Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) who run the Golden Globe Awards saying that Berk sexually assaulted him in 2003.
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.
The allegations are similar to those that Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews made against Adam Venit last November. Crews alleges Venit grabbed and squeezed Crews genitals at an event in 2016 in front of his Crews wife.
Both Berk and Venit deny the allegations.
My wife n I were at a Hollywood function last year n a high level Hollywood executive came over 2 me and groped my privates. (2/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) 10 Deireadh Fómhair 2017
Fraser has been in the background of Hollywood for the last 15 years or so. His story seems familiar to those we’ve seen in the #MeToo movement with actors like Selma Blair who were afraid if they spoke up, their careers might suffer.
Fraser almost entirely disappeared from the public eye after the alleged incident until 2016 when the famous ‘Sad Brendan Fraser’ meme appearing following an awkward YouTube interview. Crews says he put the alleged incident with Venit in the back of his mind until the allegations against Harvey Weinstein began to emerge.
Male on male sexual violence is so rarely spoken about which had led to a hyper stigmatization and taboo around the subject. People almost assume that it just doesn’t happen.
Both Terry Crews and Brendan Fraser are stereotypical masculine men. Crews is a former NFL player while Fraser consistently played masculine characters as seen in ‘George of the Jungle‘ and ‘The Mummy‘ in the late 90s.
What these allegations show (if it wasn’t already apparent) is that sexual violence can happen to anyone and that the impact is brutal. The power the perpetrator has over the victim is what allows them to keep getting away with it as seen with Harvey Weinstein.
The next time you ask why women in particular don’t report sexual assault and violence, ask yourself why Brendan Fraser and Terry Crews didn’t report until now. The victim rarely wins and the ramifications of what happened can last a lifetime.
Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this. His assault experience is extremely similar to mine— ending with the assailant explaining away his actions.
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) 22 Feabhra 2018
One mans “horseplay” is another man’s humiliation. https://t.co/nNjtmKq5D7
If you have been affected by any of the content in this article please contact:
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre: 1800 77 8888
Rape Crisis Network Ireland: http://www.rcni.ie/
