This story contains discussion of sexual assault.
A few years back, Brendan claimed that he had been groped by former HFPA President Philip Berk while they were both at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
In an interview with GQ, Brendan said the incident occurred when they were both leaving a luncheon and Philip went to shake his hand — but instead reached for his butt.
“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,” Brendan shared when he first came forward.
Philip has since denied the allegations, saying he only pinched Brendan as a joke.
But looking back on the incident, Brendan agreed that it derailed everything for him.
“It was causing me emotional distress; it was causing me personal distress,” he said in an interview with CBS Mornings.
Brendan went on to say that there is a “system in place that is about power,” and up until that point, he “had played by the rules.”
“I felt like, okay, now, suddenly, I’ve been violated. And it has gone too far. And I will no longer abide this,” Brendan said.
As for why he decided to speak up, Brendan explained that he was inspired by all the other people sharing their truths during the #MeToo movement.
“I spoke up because I saw so many of my friends and colleagues who, at that time, were bravely emerging to speak their truth to power,” he said. “And I had something to say, too.”
You can listen to all that Brendan had to say here.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search your local center here.
