UPDATED: On Tuesday night, the consequences of the recent controversies surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association continued.
We can confirm from knowledgeable sources that the counselor for diversity and inclusion, Dr. Shaun Harper left the Golden Globes earlier today, as first reported THR. Professor USC was hired by HFPA on March 9.
As the HFPA bookstore collapses due to a lack of black group members and a lack of a real strategy to become more inclusive, long-term PR firm Sunshine Sachs is developing its own exit strategy. “Working with them is starting to affect our higher business profile and we can’t get this from any clients,” said an insider for Deadline of Sunshine Sach’s imminent decision to stop representing HFPA. “We can’t work like that,” they added.
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HFPA fires former President Phil Berk amid controversy over email
The company did not respond to comments, however, we learn from another well-positioned source that Sunshine Sachs “considers all options.” I heard it was a matter of days, if not hours, before Sunshine Sachs took a break from the stumbling HFPA.
The news of Harper’s departure comes following inappropriate email comments made on Sunday by former HFPA President Phil Berk. In his remarks, Berk referred to the Black Lives Matter as a “racist hate movement”, also describing the movement’s co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, as the self-proclaimed “trained Marxist”. Dick Clark Productions MRC owner Berk was expelled from the organization for using racist rhetoric.
THR He also reported that Judy Smith, Smith & Company, split from HFPA after she was hired by Lathan & Watkins’ law firm to provide counseling just over a month ago. The deadline reached Smith and he received no comment. We will update you when we do this.
Today’s blast was just the latest controversy from the organization with less than 90 members.
Ahead of the 78th Golden Globe Award on February 28, it turned out that the group has zero black individuals among its 87 voting members. A fact that was repeatedly mentioned to the Globes that night, including vague promises from a HFPA brass trio that they would solve the problem.
Subsequently, Time’s Up and over 100 PR companies threatened to end the group’s business, unless it managed to make major representation reforms. HFPA has promised to take action by May 6. Harper’s departure today only increases the pressure on the group to make changes.