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'I felt ill': Brendan Fraser describes sexual assault that nearly made him quit acting

His bravery in coming forward is commendable. 👏

Remember Brendan Fraser? 10 years ago, he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Then, he suddenly disappeared.

If you were a kid in the late '90s and early '00s, chances are you saw a Brendan Fraser movie. The comedy and action star catapulted to fame behind blockbusters like "The Mummy" franchise, "George of the Jungle," "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," and the Oscar-winning film "Crash."

But after 2008, he largely disappeared from major starring roles. His absence wasn't due to drugs, a sex-scandal, or illness — despite memes and even reported articles speculating about his career arc, with many blaming it on poor career choices.

Fraser revealed in a recent interview that an incident of sexual harassment led him to withdraw from his high-profile lifestyle.

Lately, the actor has gradually returned to more high-profile roles, and in an interview with GQ, he explained that the real reason he stepped back from the spotlight was because of being physically groped by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

In his own book, Berk admitted to "pinching" Fraser in the buttocks after an event, but Fraser says the incident was much worse. "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."

"I felt ill. I felt like a little kid," he told GQ. "I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."

He said it's time to speak out, and other male victims of harassment are supporting him.

Berk has called the allegation a "total fabrication" but acknowledges he sent Fraser an apology letter after the incident when the actor complained to the HFPA. Fraser said he tried to bury his feelings about the incident, but he was moved into action after seeing actresses and actors speaking up at this year's Golden Globes.

“Am I still frightened? Absolutely. Do I feel like I need to say something? Absolutely. Have I wanted to many, many times? Absolutely. Have I stopped myself? Absolutely."

Despite his reservations, people seem to believe, and be genuinely moved by, Fraser's claim. Once the target of jokes, Fraser has become a catalyst for moving praise across social media.

He's also earned some public support from actor Terry Crews, who has publicly discussed experiencing a similar incident years ago.

"Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this," Crews wrote on Twitter. "His assault experience is extremely similar to mine — ending with the assailant explaining away his actions. One man's 'horseplay' is another man's humiliation."

Victims of sexual harassment and assault often face deep shame and fear in speaking out. Speaking out takes courage.

Speaking out after experiencing harassment or assault can be an incredible challenge, often full of personal and professional risk. Though the majority of assaults are against women, men face their own similar challenges in overcoming shame, doubt, and repercussions for coming forward and speaking out. When men like Fraser and Crews speak out, they help clear the path for other men to come forward with their own stories.


This story originally appeared on 08.06.19

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A Black family in Virginia is being subjected to a bizarre, racist assault every time they step outside

@chris_notcapn/Twitter

In today's episode of "WTF, America?", we head to Virginia Beach, where a Black family of Navy veterans is battling a racist, wackadoodle neighbor who is terrorizing them with lights and racist recordings every time they enter or leave their own home.

Jannique Martinez told NBC affiliate WAVY that the neighbor has been harassing her family and others in the neighborhood for more than a year.

"Whenever we would step out of our house, the monkey noises would start. It's so racist, and it's disgusting. I don't even know how else to explain it," Martinez said.

Martinez told WAVY that the neighbor is retaliating for her complaining about him playing his music so loud it shook her house. But Martinez's family is not the only one to have audio blasted and lights flashing when they leave their home. According to Martinez, the neighbor has eight security cameras on his property aimed at his neighbors and different songs he blasts at each one. She said the racist audio directed at her family gets triggered even when her children are playing outside.

"My son is terrified of him. Terrified, terrified," Martinez said. "The N-word situation … they came to me and said, 'Mom, what's that?' I didn't subject my kids to that. I didn't think they would ever have to learn what this means."

The police issued a statement saying that while the neighbor's behaviors are "appalling and offensive," they aren't criminal, according to the city attorney and Virginia magistrates.

"This means the VBPD has had no authority to invervene and warrants were not supported," the police department wrote. "We will closely monitor the situation, investigate complaints and, within the limits of the law, help this family with this most unpleasant situation."

People are calling b.s. on the city's "we can't do anything" response. Virginia Beach has a noise ordinance that this situation should surely fall under. And how such behavior doesn't qualify as harassment or a hate crime is a head-scratcher.

Martinez said she has tried talking to the magistrate, going through the civil court and consulting a lawyer, but has come up empty-handed.

"According to the law, it's just a statement or a phrase or he's not doing enough or bodily harm or threats to my family," said Martinez. "Why does it have to go that far before something that can be done? People shouldn't have to live like this. I spent 11 years in the military. My husband is also in the military. We fought for this country, but yet there's no one to fight for us."

Martinez's experience echoes those of countless people who have been stalked or harassed by someone who manages to skirt the edge of criminality. It's frightening to constantly wonder if or when someone's behavior will escalate from creepy and disturbing to physically harmful, and frustrating that the psychological harm of such behavior isn't considered enough for the law to intervene.

The story is being shared widely on social media and people are ready to throw down for the Martinez family. Neighbors did rally together to protest the neighbor's gross behavior on September 24. Martinez told the Virginian-Pilot that her 7-year-old showed courage at the rally. He even made his own sign like the ones his mom and other community members held—one that read "Spread Love, Not Hate."

Yes, little man. Don't let the racists win. This kind of garbage has no place in civil society and if the law doesn't provide protection from targeted harassment at someone's own home, then something in the law needs to change.

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Culture

A director asked to see Jennifer Lopez's breasts. Her response says a lot about standing up for yourself.

Instagram / JLo

The Me Too movement has shed light on just how many actresses have been placed in positions that make them feel uncomfortable. Abuse of power has been all too commonplace. Some actresses have been coerced into doing something that made them uncomfortable because they felt they couldn't say no to the director. And it's not always as flagrant as Louis C.K. masturbating in front of an up-and-coming comedian, or Harvey Weinstein forcing himself on actresses in hotel rooms.

But it's important to remember that you can always firmly put your foot down and say no. While speaking at The Hollywood Reporter's annual Actress Roundtable, Jennifer Lopez opened up about her experiences with a director who behaved inappropriately. Laura Dern, Awkwafina, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Renee Zellweger were also at the roundtable.

Lopez was supposed to do nudity in a film, and the director asked see Lopez's breasts during a fitting. Lopez did not name the director or the film, but she did describe what happened.

RELATED: The comedian who called out Harvey Weinstein is now getting the support she should have gotten from the venue

"He wanted to see my boobs," Lopez said at the roundtable. "And I said no, I stood up for myself. But it was so funny because I remember being so panicked in the moment. And by the way, there was a costume designer in the room with me. So there was another woman in the room and he says this and I said no. Luckily a little bit of the Bronx came out, and I was like, 'I don't have to show you my — No. On the set, you see them.'"

Lopez made a point about why it's important to stand up for yourself when you're placed in uncomfortable situations. "That's the thing, because if you give in, in that moment, all of a sudden that person is off and running, thinking they can do whatever they want. And because I put up a little boundary right there and said no, he laid off and then later on apologized. But the minute he walked out of the room the costume designer was like, 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry that just happened,'" she continued.

Sometimes, demonstrating that you're willing to stand up for yourself is enough to stop you from getting pushed around.

Since the Me Too movement gained momentum just two years ago, more and more women are comfortable speaking up for themselves – and others. "The difference now, though, is that because of the conversations that are happening in public, it's easier to tell when something is inappropriate," Nyong'o pointed out at the roundtable.

RELATED: Emma Watson launches hotline that provides women legal advice on workplace sexual harassment

Nyong'o noted that situation might have gone differently if the fitting had happened today. "Because in that moment, if the costume designer had said something, it could've changed. If she had supported you in some way, had spoken up, it would have changed the dynamic. So now we are programming the younger generation to know what's OK and what's not. To know that it's not OK to be in a costume fitting and for a man to ask that of you. Even though those things might happen, our defense would be sharper in those moments," Nyong'o continued.

Luckily, the culture is shifting and women are less likely to be placed in situations where we have to act tough and risk being labeled as a "bitch" just because we don't want to be harassed at work. But when you're placed in a situation that you want to stop, it's important to remember that you can always speak up and say no.

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'Can you ask someone out at work?' What is — and isn't — sexual harassment at the office.

Avoiding sexual harassment in the workplace isn't hard. Please allow Donald Glover to explain.

Rashida Jones has directed a new animated video with voiceover from Donald Glover that breaks things down nicely. The video is the latest effort from Time's Up, an organization that was launched in early 2018 to help provide legal resources for women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted.

"Is the culture shifting under your feet so fast, maybe you can't make sense of it?" Glover asks.

What might be most surprising is how straightforward answers to the four questions are. In fact, they might seem deceptively simple, but there's nothing deceptive about it:

  1. Is it OK to greet a co-worker with a "deep, full-body hug" or a kiss on the mouth?No.
  2. Is it OK to think a co-worker looks sexy in their pants?Yes. "Sure, think away," Glover says. "But is it OK to tell that person you think they look sexy? Umm … no."
  3. Can you ask someone out at work?Maybe. Glover lists a number of power dynamic factors — Are you their boss? Are they potentially just being nice? etc. — before concluding, "If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes,' just don't do it."
  4. Do you need to report harassment when you see it or hear about it? Yes.

There's plenty of nuance when it comes to workplace behavior, and it can feel like things are getting more complicated all the time. Thankfully, this video reminds us that it's really not complicated at all.

Photos by Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images and Kevin Winter/Getty Images.​

Navigating sexual misconduct in the workplace can seem difficult. It doesn't have to be.

It would be easy for Jones and Glover to lecture. Instead, they address the confusion and anxiety even those in positions of power are feeling as the clock runs out on a culture that permitted harassment and assault.

"The world is changing under your feet," Glover says, "ultimately for the better."

Basic respect, professionalism, and compassion for others are still the bedrock principles. And if that's too ambiguous, these four questions help keep it simple.

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