Scarlett Johansson has come forward to speak out against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association amid ongoing controversy around diversity and ethics concerns, reported Variety.
HFPA, on Thursday, approved widespread changes designed to diversify its ranks and address ethics complaints. The move followed an investigation published in February by the Los Angeles Times that noted there were no Black people currently in the HFPA.
Speaking out against the HFPA’s “lackluster’ new initiatives, Johansson said, “As an actor promoting a film, one is expected to participate in awards season by attending press conferences as well as awards shows. In the past, this has often meant facing sexist questions and remarks by certain HFPA members that bordered on sexual harassment.
“It is the exact reason why I, for many years, refused to participate in their conferences,” she added.
Johansson also explained how “the HFPA is an organization that was legitimized by the likes of Harvey Weinstein to amass momentum for Academy recognition, and the industry followed suit.”
She went on to add that unless there is fundamental reform within the HFPA, it is high time that the industry steps back from it and “focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole.”
