Tom Cruise returns Golden Globes amid HFPA controversy

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Washington: Hollywood star Tom Cruise has returned his three Golden Globes statues amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, earlier today, NBC announced that it would not be airing the 2022 iteration of the Golden Globes. The network said in a statement: "We continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right."

Cruise won the best actor honour in 1990 for ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ and in 1997 for ‘Jerry Maguire’, as well as a best supporting actor award in 2000 for ‘Magnolia’.

The backlash began after a Los Angeles media outlet’s report detailing that the organization counted zero Black journalists among its then-87 members. Last week, the HFPA’s membership voted to approve a proposal of reforms aimed at addressing its lack of diversity and other ethics issues, but many in Hollywood, including Time’s Up and a coalition of PR Firms, noted that the reforms do not go far enough.

This news comes after Netflix and Amazon Studios each announced they would no longer be working with the HFPA until the organization enacted sweeping changes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise is the latest Hollywood talent to express their disapproval with the HFPA.

Scarlett Johansson, who has been nominated for four Golden Globes awards, urged Hollywood to take a "step back" from the HFPA, while Golden Globe winner Mark Ruffalo recently offered a statement, "Now is the time to step up and right the wrongs of the past."