Hollywood star Tom Cruise has reportedly returned his three Golden Globe statues to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) after NBC announced it would not broadcast the awards ceremony in 2022.
On Monday, US television network NBC dropped its broadcast of the Golden Globes ceremony in 2022 after a Hollywood backlash over issues ranging from preferential treatment sought by its members to lack of racial representation in its ranks, which included no Black members.
Tom Cruise also joined a revolt led by streaming platforms like Netlfix and Amazon and returned his three Golden Globe statuettes he won for his roles in ‘Jerry Maguire,’ ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Born on the Fourth of July’.
NBC’s decision came even after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which hands out the awards, agreed to recruit more Black members and make other changes over the next 18 months. The network had initially welcomed the plan but later said it would wait to see if the reforms worked.
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Moreover, the HFPA members have also been accused of making sexist and racist remarks and soliciting favors from celebrities and studios. “Change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right. As such, NBC will not air the 2022 Golden Globes,” NBC said in a statement.
“Assuming the organization executes on its plan, we are hopeful we will be in a position to air the show in January 2023,” NBC added in a statement.
The annual Golden Globes ceremony, attended by A-list stars and industry executives, has become one of the biggest Hollywood awards shows in the run-up to the Oscars. However, it has been under close scrutiny following an investigation published in February by the Los Angeles Times that showed the group of 87 journalists had no Black members.
