In a new interview with GQ magazine, actor Brendan Fraser has claimed that he was sexually assaulted by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk.
Fraser says that the assault took place at a hotel luncheon in 2003, telling GQ: “His [Berk's] left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around.”
Fraser went on to say that fears of "humiliation" and "damage to [his] career" have prevented him from coming forward until now.
He continued: “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.”
Fraser, who underwent extensive surgery following his lead role in the Mummy franchise, initially blamed himself for overreacting to the incident, saying it "made me retreat. It made me reclusive".
"In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me."
Berk, who claims to have simply pinched Fraser's bottom in jest, wrote an apology note at the time of the incident following a request from Fraser’s reps. He is still a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and called Fraser’s recollection of the incident “a total fabrication”.
Fraser will star in the FX's upcoming series Trust.
